Untitled (Montmartre) 1917

Pierre Daura made this painting of Montmartre, likely in oil on canvas, with a sense of immediacy. Look how the colors are almost all mixed together, and allowed to flow into one another, creating a real sense of movement. This isn't about capturing a photographic likeness, it's about the feeling of being there. The surface is alive with visible brushstrokes. You can almost feel the energy of Daura's hand as he moved the paint around. Notice the way the light seems to bounce off the buildings, especially how the strokes change direction to convey the angle and texture of the surfaces. There's a real physicality to the paint. See those bold strokes on the left, really thick and textural, like the paint is trying to become a building itself! It's almost like he's building the scene rather than just depicting it. Daura shares some sensibility with artists like Bonnard, using color and light to create a mood that lingers in your memory. It reminds us that art doesn't have to be perfect or precise; it just needs to resonate with something inside us.