The Aran Isles 1912

Augustus John made this painting of The Aran Isles with oil on canvas, and it feels like he was really working fast. It’s all about laying down quick strokes of color and letting them build up into a scene. You can see the creamy texture of the paint and how he didn’t blend everything perfectly, which gives the whole thing a fresh, immediate feel. Look at the way he’s dabbed in the greens and browns to suggest the fields – it's so simple, but it totally works. The little white houses are just these quick blocks of white, but they pop against the landscape. There’s something very James McNeill Whistler about this painting, in the way John suggests a scene rather than describing it perfectly. It’s all about capturing a mood and a sense of place with just a few well-chosen strokes. For John, and for us, it’s about suggestion and feeling, not necessarily the exact details.