Moulins en Hollandee 1904

Armand Guillaumin made this painting, Moulins en Hollande, using what looks like small brushstrokes in a variety of pastel colours. Imagine standing where he stood, palette in hand, trying to capture the way the light hits the water. I can almost feel the breeze and hear the gentle lapping of waves against the shore. Look how he’s dabbed the paint to create a shimmering surface. There's a real sensitivity in the way he's observed and translated it onto the canvas. I love how the windmill stands proudly against the sky, its form solid and grounded, while the sailboats drift along the water. The red sails offer pops of colour amidst the blues, greens, and creams. I wonder if Guillaumin considered the relationship between these colours, how each touch and tone might affect the others. Perhaps he thought about painters like Monet, always trying to evoke a feeling, a sense of place, a particular moment in time. Ultimately, it’s the generosity of artists like Guillaumin that keeps me going. He was experimenting, learning, and pushing himself, just like the rest of us.