Tile panel 1896 - 1918

This tile panel was made by Charles Volkmar, but when, and with what, is a bit of a mystery. I love that the image is broken up into three parts. It brings an awareness to the painting as a process of continual construction. The colours are really earthy, greens and browns, but then there are these surprising flashes of gold. It's so alive. It’s like you’re walking through the woods in autumn as the sun sets. The texture is thick and the brushstrokes are visible. I can feel Volkmar’s hand, pushing the paint around and trying to capture the light filtering through the trees. It reminds me a little of some of the Hudson River School painters, like Asher B. Durand, who captured the transcendental qualities of the American landscape, but maybe with a touch of Gustav Klimt's gold leaf application. It’s a reminder that art is a conversation, a series of responses and reinterpretations that continue to unfold across time.