Flock between two twilights 1978

Jesús Meneses del Barco made this painting called ‘Flock between two twilights’ using what looks like oil on canvas, with a palette that’s all muted greys and earthy browns. You can almost smell the landscape. The paint is applied in these thick, decisive strokes; you can see the direction of the brush, how it drags and pulls across the surface. It’s not about hiding the process but celebrating it. The texture is so important – the roughness of the land, mirrored in the roughness of the paint. If you look closely at the flock, you will notice how each sheep rendered with minimal strokes, capturing their essence without unnecessary detail. It feels like the painting is less about the specific details and more about conveying an experience, a memory, maybe even a feeling. It puts me in mind of some of the landscapes made by Corot, that similar balance between observation and something much more dreamy. It's like a conversation across time, this ongoing exploration of how paint can capture the world.