Paysage aux ombelles 1965

Bernard Buffet conjured this landscape with some kind of oil paint, and probably a brush, maybe even a rag. I can just imagine Buffet in front of his canvas, making marks, maybe wiping them away, trying this and that. The paint sits in some areas thinly, in other areas it’s gloopy. This back and forth is where the painting comes alive. The brushstrokes are so decisive, almost violent, right? The yellow smacks of the brush create these umbrella-like blooms. You can see how the painting is built up through layers of colors and textures. The overall impression is not just what is depicted but how it's depicted. Buffet reminds me of other painters who weren’t afraid to let their feelings show, like Soutine or even Van Gogh. They're all just talking to each other across time and space. It's like they're all in this amazing, ongoing conversation. And in the end, isn't that what art is all about?