Herbstlandschaft 1903

Christian Rohlfs made this oil painting, Herbstlandschaft, or Autumn Landscape, with a loaded brush and a real zest for process. The thick paint is applied in short, staccato marks, especially noticeable in the ochre and burnt orange of the trees. Looking closely, you can see how the texture becomes almost sculptural. This isn’t about hiding the process but celebrating it. The brushstrokes feel impulsive, each one a record of a decision made. There’s a real physicality to the medium: I can imagine Rohlfs wrestling with the paint, pushing it around, and letting the roughness of the application create a kind of visual energy. The way he builds up the layers in the trees, letting the colors vibrate against each other, reminds me a little of Van Gogh. It’s like he’s not just painting what he sees but also how he feels about the season. But Rohlfs has his own distinctive voice, one that finds beauty in the everyday.