Poplars by the Eau River 1903

Gustave Loiseau’s Poplars by the Eau River is a small, rectangular canvas, a field of soft brushstrokes in greens, yellows, and muted purples. Imagine the experience of standing before the river, brush in hand, the challenge of capturing light and reflection. I wonder, what was Loiseau thinking? Probably not ‘how do I copy this.’ More like, ‘how do I make a painting about this.’ And that's a totally different thing. The paint application is almost dry and crumbly, a mosaic of marks that build the image. Each dab feels like a tiny, deliberate choice, not trying to mimic reality, but evoke a feeling, a sense of place. There's a kinship here with other landscape painters like Monet or Pissarro. They are all in dialogue with each other. This painting isn't just about trees and water. It is about an artist wrestling with perception, with the translation of seeing into feeling. It invites us to slow down, to look closely, and to appreciate the magic of paint.