Old man at a water well 1903

Jacek Malczewski created this painting, "Old Man at a Water Well", with oil on board. Look at the browns, ochres, and greens, all laid down in such loose brushstrokes. You can almost feel the artist wrestling with the image, trying to pin down the weight of the old man's weariness. I can imagine Malczewski, back in 1903, probably squinting in the sunlight, trying to capture not just what he saw, but what it felt like to be in that moment. And, maybe he saw himself in this old man, grappling with his own struggles. The brushstrokes are thick and kind of clumsy, but that's what makes it so honest. That gesture, where the man is holding his head, it tells you everything. You can see it in other painters, too, this search for a way to express something deep and true, not just a pretty picture. It’s all part of this ongoing conversation artists have with each other, across time and space.