Landscape 1927

Henri Catargi made this landscape painting with oil paint; I like to think of him building it up one step at a time. The way he layers earth tones gives the scene this really grounded feeling, almost like you could step right into it. When you look closer, the paint isn't trying to hide anything. It's not super thick, but you can see the brushstrokes, especially in the hills and the sky. There's this one tree on the right, its leaves are daubs of green and brown, and it’s like Catargi just plopped them there, giving the tree this solid, almost stubborn presence. It reminds me a bit of Cezanne, but with a Romanian twist. Both artists aren't trying to fool you into thinking this is real life; it's paint, it's a process, it's a thought. Art is just one big conversation, right? It doesn’t have to be perfect, just honest, and a little bit strange.