Farmyard, France 1906

Clarence Gagnon made this painting of a French farmyard using oil on canvas. The marks are applied with short brushstrokes, and the colour palette is mostly muted browns and greens, yet broken by patches of bright yellows and blues. It all comes together as an image, of course, but maybe more importantly it creates a whole world of sensation. The rough texture of the paint brings the scene to life. You can almost feel the dusty ground under your feet and smell the hay. I love how the artist captures the light filtering through the trees, creating these dappled shadows that dance across the ground. There's a particular spot, right at the bottom where the colours melt together, I could look at that all day. It reminds me of Vuillard and the Nabi painters, who were working at a similar time, exploring the intimate details of everyday life. But unlike the Nabis this feels a bit more rugged, less precious. In art, there are no fixed answers, just endless possibilities and ways of seeing.