Cats 1910

Franz Marc made this painting of ‘Cats’ with oil on canvas, and looking at it, I can almost feel the texture of the paint, built up layer upon layer. Imagine Marc in front of his canvas, armed with brushes and a palette knife, pushing and pulling the paint to conjure these slumbering felines. The colours are intense, but somehow soothing—oranges and reds. See how he uses brushstrokes to mimic the soft fur of the cats, creating a symphony of textures and tones. I wonder if, like me, he felt a connection to his subject, using art as a medium to express a sense of warmth and affection for the natural world. Painters always talk to one another across time; they are totally in cahoots, working through their obsessions, trying to pin down some deep truth. For Marc, painting wasn't just about depicting what he saw but about conveying the essence of what he felt, embracing ambiguity and uncertainty, and I find that totally inspiring.