View of Fahr Monastery through Trees 1945

Max Gubler, sometime in the mid-20th century, made this painting with visible brushstrokes and a palette of muted greens, browns, and grays. It’s like watching a landscape emerge through layers of thought and feeling. I imagine Gubler standing there, brush in hand, trying to capture not just what he sees, but how he feels about the scene. The paint is applied thickly, giving a tactile quality to the trees and monastery in the distance. See how the strokes of white and green suggest light filtering through the leaves? There’s a looseness to it, a sense of improvisation. This painting reminds me of others who were also exploring how to capture fleeting moments and personal experiences like Bonnard. In the end, artists are constantly building upon each other's discoveries. Gubler's painting is less about a literal depiction and more about an invitation to wander, to consider the many ways of seeing and feeling a place.