Landschap met molens bij water 1869 - 1937

Anton L. Koster made this landscape with windmills by water using watercolor. Look at the way Koster lays down these washes; it’s all about transparency, right? The way one color bleeds into another. See the blues and greys in the sky, how they seem to hover and almost become one with the water? It’s like he’s inviting us into a space where the air itself is a kind of painting medium. I think that’s beautiful, this idea of making something atmospheric. I’m drawn to the little boats and buildings clustered around the water’s edge. The way Koster uses a limited palette to create a sense of depth is really cool. It reminds me a bit of James McNeill Whistler's tonalist landscapes. They both seem to be chasing after a feeling, or a memory, rather than a perfect representation. Art isn’t about answers, it's about possibilities.