Segelboote Am Wannsee c. 1922

Max Liebermann painted these sailboats on Wannsee Lake with visible brushstrokes in a muted palette. I imagine Liebermann standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture the way the light hits the water, the sails, the boats, and the trees. Look how the texture of the paint itself becomes part of the story, thick in some places, like the boats, and thinner in others, like the sky, creating a sense of depth and movement. Each stroke feels like a small decision, a response to what’s already there on the canvas. Did he build up the image slowly, adjusting and refining as he went? Did he try to get the colors just right, mixing them on his palette until they matched what he saw before him? I bet it was a constant back-and-forth between observation and invention, trying to stay true to the scene while also making it his own. Painters, we’re all just trying to figure things out, one brushstroke at a time.