Autumn 1949

Ivan Generalic made this tempera on glass painting called Autumn, and it's a trip! The colours are muted, mostly earth tones with pops of muted pink and orange. There is an attention to detail that is just mesmerising. Look at the trees in the foreground: each branch is rendered with precise brushstrokes, creating an almost lace-like effect. They are very beautiful, but also a little spooky. The texture of the painting is so smooth, like glass, mirroring the surface of the support. Generalic makes the trees feel dense and solid. It's a bit like Rousseau, but maybe even weirder. It feels like a dream, a memory, a folk tale, and a premonition all rolled into one. I love it when paintings do that!