Andre Gide at Jersey 1907

Theo van Rysselberghe made this painting, Andre Gide at Jersey, with oil paint in the late 19th century. The strokes are small and mosaic-like, like he’s trying to capture not just what Gide looked like, but also how the light felt on that day. Up close, the painting is a field of tiny, almost frantic marks. Blues, pinks, greens, all dashed next to each other to create the overall impression of Gide’s face and the landscape behind him. Look at the way he renders the shadow on Gide’s face, it’s not just a flat dark tone, but a mix of purples and greens, giving it a vibrancy that a simple shade couldn’t achieve. It's like he’s building up the image bit by bit, each dab of color contributing to the whole. This pointillist approach reminds me of Seurat, but Rysselberghe brings a certain warmth to it. It’s a conversation across time and styles, a testament to the endless possibilities of paint. It shows how you can build a world, dab by dab.