Forest I. 1900s - 1910s

Ladislav Mednyánszky made this painting of a forest, using fluid brushstrokes and a limited palette of earthy browns, whites, and blues. I wonder what it was like for Mednyánszky to stand in front of this scene, trying to capture the essence of the forest with such simple means. The paint is thin, almost translucent, allowing the texture of the paper to show through, which gives the painting a sense of immediacy. The brushstrokes are loose and gestural, especially those vertical marks suggesting trees, capturing the feeling of light filtering through the foliage. Those quick dabs of blue, could they be hints of the sky peeking through the canopy? It reminds me of the plein air painters, like Corot, who sought to capture the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere. I bet Mednyánszky was thinking about them. It's like artists are always in conversation, echoing and riffing on each other's ideas, across time. There's no wrong answer when it comes to art, just different ways of seeing and feeling.