Trees Mirrored in a Pond 1907

Egon Schiele made this painting of trees mirrored in a pond with oil on canvas. It's a shimmering greeny-blue world of light and reflection, created with short brushstrokes of color. I imagine him standing by the edge of the pond, squinting into the sun and trying to capture the way the light dances on the water. The texture of the paint is so important here. You can almost feel the thickness of the paint, the way it catches the light and creates a sense of movement. I love the way the reflections of the trees are broken up into these little flicks of paint; it makes the water feel alive. He's looking at the tradition of landscape painting, and asking himself, “How can I make it new? How can I bring my own feelings and experiences to this well-worn subject?” I feel like he’s saying that painting can never be a perfect representation of the world, but it can be a way of exploring our own perceptions and emotions.