View of the Garden from the Kitchen Balcony (Square de Port-Royal) 2000

Avigdor Arikha made this painting of the Square de Port-Royal garden from his kitchen balcony, and you can tell he wasn't trying to hide the process. Look at the brushstrokes! There's this real immediacy, like he just grabbed some oil paint and went at it. I mean, the greens are just layered and dabbed, almost like he’s building up the foliage one leaf at a time. It’s not about perfection, it’s about that moment of seeing. And the grays of the balcony contrast with the vibrant greens, making them pop even more. It’s like he's inviting us to experience the view with him, right there in his kitchen. Thinking about this painting makes me think about Fairfield Porter, both artists knew how to capture the essence of everyday life with such honesty. It's like they're saying, "Hey, look at this beauty, right here, right now."