Printemps du monde 1967

Jean Messagier made this painting, Printemps du Monde, with gorgeous swirling brushstrokes, a real dance of blues, reds, and yellows. I imagine him totally lost in the act, maybe starting with a vague idea, but then letting the paint take over. You know, that feeling when the painting starts painting itself? I bet he was thinking about spring, right? New beginnings, the world waking up. Look at the texture, how the brushstrokes almost seem to blow in the wind! It reminds me of Joan Mitchell, how she used color to capture a feeling. See that one stroke of dark blue, how it cuts through the middle? It’s like a jolt of energy, a reminder that even in the midst of beauty, there's always a little tension. Messagier probably didn't plan it, but it adds so much. Painters are always chatting with each other across time, borrowing ideas, and pushing things further. It’s all one big conversation, and each painting is a new way of seeing the world.