Frog With Marsh Marigold 1880 - 1937

Eero Järnefelt made this painting of a frog and some marsh marigolds without any specific date using materials that give a sense of quiet observation. The whole image is really a study in mark making. The paint handling is interesting, isn't it? Look how he’s built up the image, scumbling the paint in layers to create an almost luminous surface. The colours are muted, lots of greens and yellows, but there are some bright flashes of light. I'm really drawn to how he's depicted the frog, it's a very matter of fact rendering, you can almost feel the damp, cool surface of its skin. I’m reminded of Emil Nolde’s paintings, that same embrace of the natural world and a delight in the materiality of paint. Art's about embracing uncertainty, and I love that.