The Last Autumn Race 1892

Editor: So, this is Stefan Luchian’s "The Last Autumn Race," painted in 1892. It’s a dreamy landscape – the colors are soft, almost faded, which gives it this melancholic feel. It looks like a plein-air painting; the brushstrokes seem so immediate and natural. What’s your read on this? Curator: It’s funny you say “melancholic.” I find it hopeful, in a subdued sort of way, you know? Like a long, lingering goodbye to summer. Luchian captures this moment just before winter sets in, where the energy’s still there, but it’s tempered with a sense of inevitability. I’m thinking that the landscape, even the horses, are characters in a theatrical performance. Editor: A theatrical performance! That’s not how I saw it, but that resonates, like they’re aware they are viewed. I focused mostly on the colours, on their dull and earthy character. Curator: Absolutely, it is also about color! I'm thinking of the way the Impressionists captured light… But the dark hues offer some interesting commentary on his style at this moment. And doesn't that line of spectators behind the fence evoke the world outside their race and game, so carefree and warm? The question, then, is one of audience versus actors? Or maybe it is more like: us viewing his memory. It's really up for interpretation, which is just grand! What will be our next reflection, I wonder... Editor: True, such perspective puts into question their relationship with time itself. I didn't consider how the subdued colour scheme highlights it.