Les Gorges du Loup 1920 - 1925

Henri Matisse made this landscape painting with oils, likely en plein air. You can almost feel the canvas vibrating from the quick gestures and that Mediterranean light. I imagine Matisse squinting, trying to capture the particular shade of green as the light filters through the leaves. He probably mixed a bit of blue with the green to get that cool tone. The paint looks applied wet-on-wet, with soft edges blending into one another, creating a dreamy, hazy atmosphere. It is like a mirage. I am always in awe of other painters. Look at the confidence of these marks, they appear so casual but they're very deliberate. A lot of the great painters have a light touch; think of Fragonard, Bonnard. It’s like the painting is breathing. It is the dialogue with painting, the conversation between artists, that is truly the point.