Hunter 1919

Magnus Enckell painted 'Hunter' with oils, and it feels like he was really thinking about how to build a picture, not just copy something. Look at the way he's used color – those mossy greens and neutral browns feel like a deliberate choice to create a mood. There's something about the surface, too; you can almost feel the brushstrokes, like Enckell was wrestling with the paint. I’m drawn to how the brushstrokes around the hunter’s cap are dabbed, full of texture. It's like each dab is a little decision, building up to this solid form. The whole painting has this balance between control and letting the paint do its thing. It reminds me a bit of Courbet, but with a Nordic twist. Anyway, it’s not about answers, is it? It’s about keeping the questions alive.