Malcesine on Lake Garda 1913

Gustav Klimt made this square of a painting, ‘Malcesine on Lake Garda’, with oil on canvas. Look at the way the marks are laid down. It’s not about making a perfect picture of a place, but more like, how can I make a painting using a place as the excuse? Each little dash and dab of paint, especially in the water, feels super considered, a decision. What color goes next to that one, and how does it sit on the canvas? The paint isn’t trying to hide itself. You can totally see the texture, the strokes, the way he built up the image. The surface is alive and shimmering, kinda like the lake itself. And those reflections? They’re not trying to trick you into thinking they’re real. They're more like abstract patterns that somehow still manage to give you the feeling of water. It reminds me of Cezanne. Klimt, like so many artists, shows us that painting isn't just about copying what's out there, but about finding a new way to see and feel the world.