Tuscan Landscape 1922

Alberto Magnelli made this "Tuscan Landscape" with oil paint and some sort of rigid brush, maybe even a palette knife. The palette is a limited one, earthy, like the dirt from the ground and the ochre from the buildings there. Look closely at the trees; they’re dark and light, twisted somehow. He's not really describing, more like inventing - you can almost feel the brushstrokes vibrating as you look at them. It's kind of a nervous energy, like the trees are straining to reach the sky. It’s an odd painting, almost unnerving. I’m reminded of Cezanne, of course, but this is somehow tougher, more blunt, and more modern. What I mean is, the way Magnelli builds up the scene with a few key elements reminds us that art is more than just copying reality. It’s a way of thinking, of feeling, of seeing something new in the world.