Cláudio nos Rochedos 1912

Antonio Carneiro made this painting, Cláudio nos Rochedos, with oil paint on canvas. See how he makes marks? The buttery paint of the rocks is all about process. Up close, you can almost feel the way the brush squished and dragged the yellow and orange pigment. The texture makes the rocks feel solid. And the soft grays of the sky and sea create a melancholy mood, don't you think? I’m drawn to the dark lines carving into the face of the rocks, giving the feeling that they have been scored and weathered by time. Carneiro reminds me of Whistler, both chasing a certain atmospheric, painterly effect. But he is also doing his own thing. Art is always like that, a conversation across generations and perspectives. It's not about fixed meanings but about embracing ambiguity.