Lake Scene with Trees and Mountains 1920

Editor: So, we’re looking at "Lake Scene with Trees and Mountains," painted by Maggie Laubser around 1920. It's an oil painting, and the scene has this calm, almost meditative feel. The colors are so vibrant, yet everything feels… still. What captures your attention most when you look at this piece? Curator: It whispers to me of sunlight and stillness, of those moments when nature holds its breath. The way Laubser stacks those planes – the earth, the water, the mountains, then that impossible sky – it’s like she’s creating her own, slightly tilted reality. Have you noticed the brushstrokes, how they almost dance on the canvas? It's as if the wind itself has been captured. Editor: Definitely! There's almost a child-like simplicity, despite the obvious skill. The mountains, for instance, they're not 'realistic' but they perfectly evoke the idea of mountains. It feels very intentional. Curator: Precisely! Laubser had a fascinating relationship with the avant-garde. She absorbed its lessons but never let go of her own deeply personal vision. She seems to suggest something beyond mere visual representation. Almost like she’s not just painting a lake, but painting a feeling. Do you get that sense? Editor: I do now. Before, I just saw a landscape, but your insights make me realize there’s more beneath the surface. I was drawn to it aesthetically, but didn’t quite grasp the depth. Curator: And isn't that the beauty of art? It holds a mirror up to us, and we see not just the world, but ourselves reflected back. Thank you for allowing me the space to dive into that lake of feeling with you today. Editor: Likewise! This really transformed my appreciation for Laubser’s work; it feels so much richer now.