God’s Creatures 1913

Eugen von Blaas made this painting called ‘God’s Creatures’ with oil paints. It’s so smooth, like glass! You can tell the artist spent so long on every little detail: the folds in her habit, the way the light catches on her cheek. Imagine standing where von Blaas stood, trying to capture the exact shade of white in her veil. It's a real testament to the idea of devotional labor. You know, paint, stroke by stroke, he’s trying to translate the physical world onto canvas. And those birds! They're like little notes scattered across the sky. They remind me of those moments when you’re just lost in thought, watching something simple, but feeling everything. You can almost hear their chirping, and feel a cool breeze, right? Painters are always talking to each other, across time. He's speaking to the Renaissance masters, but also to anyone who’s ever tried to capture a fleeting moment, a feeling, on a flat surface.