Maastik Võrumaalt 1916 - 1917

Konrad Mägi made this landscape painting, Maastik Võrumaalt, with thick daubs of vibrant colour. I imagine him standing before the scene, squinting in the sun, quickly trying to capture the essence of this place. Look at those greens! They are so juicy. The whole painting comes alive with these energetic marks. It's like he’s wrestling with the paint, trying to pin down the feeling of the Estonian countryside. The sky is quite brooding, which only heightens the glowing colours of the land. The light reflecting off the water looks almost electric against the darkness behind it. I love how Mägi is so unafraid to just lay it all down, thick and bold. It reminds me of Van Gogh, but with a Nordic twist. It's like he's saying, "Here it is, take it or leave it." And I definitely want to take it! It feels like a conversation between artists across time and place, all trying to get at something that can't quite be put into words. A feeling. A moment. A place.