Morning in the Oasis of Alkantra 1913

Maxime Maufra painted this landscape with oils most likely en plein air. Just imagine him, squinting in the sun to capture the light as it washes over the scene. I’m wondering about Maufra's process. He must have started with the broad strokes, blocking in the reddish cliffs and the cool blue sky, working fast to capture that fleeting morning light. The paint is applied with visible brushstrokes, giving the whole scene a vibrant, lively feel. Look at how he renders the palm trees – each dab of green is a little spark of energy. I bet he was thinking about capturing the stillness of the scene, the almost imperceptible movement of air, the sense of scale. I’m feeling a connection with other painters who were obsessed with light, with capturing a sense of a time and place. Painters are always in dialogue with each other; each brushstroke is a response to what’s come before, a question posed to the future.