At the hill of the Norbertines’ monastery 1910

Jacek Malczewski made "At the hill of the Norbertines’ monastery" with paint and a brush, laying down the color like he was building a house. The paint isn’t trying to hide itself here. You can see the strokes, how he layered green over green for the grassy hill. Notice the way the path leads your eye, not just into the scene, but also down towards the figure reclining on the grass. It’s like he’s part of the landscape, not separate from it. There’s a directness to the painting that I find really interesting. He wasn’t afraid to let the process show. This reminds me of Courbet, who was also interested in painting real life as he saw it, and not trying to fancy it up. This kind of painting invites you to look closely, to see the world in a new way.