The Treasure Chest 1920

Ludwig Deutsch made this image, called "The Treasure Chest," with oil paint, and it’s just so precise. You get the feeling he wanted to show off how accurately he could copy things. I wonder what it was like to be him, setting up this scene, getting all the details right. Those patterns on the wall - did he paint them freehand or use a stencil? Imagine the focus, the patience needed to create that treasure chest, gleaming with details. It's like he’s saying, "Look how real I can make this look!" And okay, it *is* impressive. But what's the feeling behind it? Is it just about showing off skill, or is there something more? Sometimes, I think, with all that skill, do you lose something else, something a little wilder, a little more you? All painters are in conversation with one another, across time and space. And maybe this painting says something about how we value accuracy versus, say, expression. What do you think?