Décor de la salle à manger (House for an art lover, Glasgow) 1901

This watercolor by Charles Rennie Mackintosh presents a decorative panel, designed to evoke a dining room. Just imagine Mackintosh teasing out these forms: the dreamy faces of the women with their matching haircuts, the stylized roses caught in delicate tendrils. It's like he’s arranging a bouquet, each element carefully placed. I get a sense of serenity from this color palette. It is pale and soothing, which draws me into a calm and meditative space. The thin lines feel etched rather than painted, giving it a graphic quality. The subtle tonal variations in the roses and dresses, and the addition of tiny green dots, are proof of real artistry. I wonder if this scene, with it's serene feminine presence, offers a vision of harmony and idealized beauty. Mackintosh was part of a wider movement. These floral motifs remind me of art nouveau. Artists are always having a conversation, pulling from each other, right? This kind of work reminds us that painting is an embodied experience – a way of expressing oneself. There’s no one right way to see it, just different perspectives.