Dobrudjan Landscape 1937

Victor Brauner painted this 'Dobrudjan Landscape', likely with oils, using a simplified, almost geometric approach to capture the scene. The forms are bold, the colours earthy yet still surreal; this isn’t just a picture, it’s a feeling. Look at how Brauner handles the paint, not trying to hide the brushstrokes but laying them down like tiles, building up the image piece by piece. The clouds, big fluffy dollops of white, contrast with the angular shapes of the houses and hills below. The textures are smooth, but you can still feel the materiality of the paint and how the artist has worked it across the surface. That stark white zigzag, slicing through the lower right, does it represent a road or river? It’s a powerful stroke that divides the canvas. It reminds me a little of Giorgio de Chirico. There's a similar sense of mystery, a hint of something not quite real, a space of pure imagination.