Herabhängender Zweig mit roten und grünen Tomaten 1906

Christian Rohlfs made this painting of hanging tomatoes with watercolor. The brushstrokes here are so lively, like he’s chasing the light as it bounces off the leaves and fruit. It’s all about process, about capturing a fleeting moment. You get the feeling he’s figuring it out as he goes, not trying to be too precious, but getting down what’s in front of him. Look at the way he uses the blue to create depth, almost like an atmosphere. The paint is pretty thin, transparent in places, which lets the paper breathe. He uses short, staccato marks to build up the density of the foliage, but it never feels overworked. It's all so immediate. These are like color notes jotted down in a visual diary. You see that same kind of energy in the work of Emil Nolde, especially his watercolors, that share a similar feel for color and a willingness to let the paint do its thing. I feel like art is always about these conversations across time.