Rocks in a Stream 1920

Maurice Braun made this landscape with what looks like colored pencils, creating Rocks in a Stream with an interplay of blue, green, and earthy reds. I can almost feel the artist layering those lines, building up the textures of the rocks and the movement of the water. The strokes feel methodical, almost meditative, as if Braun was trying to capture not just what he saw, but also the feeling of being there, by the stream. I can imagine him outside, sketchbook in hand, carefully observing how light plays on the surfaces. It's so satisfying when you find the exact mark that brings it all together. I think of artists like Lois Dodd, or even Fairfield Porter, who looked closely at the everyday world. They knew how to make paintings that make you feel like you are there. There is a sense of humility, and the joy of really looking. That’s what this evokes for me.