Thick forest 1973

Endre Bartos made this painting of a thick forest with oil paint on what looks like canvas. There's a real immediacy to the marks, where the process feels laid bare. The texture in this painting is incredible; the brushstrokes feel thick and purposeful, creating a palpable sense of depth and movement. Look at the trunks of the trees, rendered in these bold, almost violet hues. The paint is so thick you can practically feel the weight of each stroke, evoking the density of the forest. Notice how the ground plane is built up of a patchwork of yellow and brown tones, juxtaposed with the blues and greens of the foliage. It feels like a direct and intuitive response to the landscape. Bartos’s work reminds me of the Fauvist painters, like Derain or Vlaminck, who weren't afraid to use color expressively, prioritizing emotional impact over realistic representation. Ultimately, what I love about this painting is how it embraces a kind of visual ambiguity. It celebrates the act of seeing and feeling over the need for definitive answers.