Crozant, Pont Charraud 1903

Armand Guillaumin made this painting, Crozant, Pont Charraud, with oil paint on canvas. What strikes me is the way the paint is dabbed on, kind of thick but also broken up, like he’s using the brush to tap the surface into life. You can almost feel the breeze and the damp air of the landscape. The colors are wild, almost Fauvist, but somehow still believable as a real place. Look at the way he’s handled the water, a choppy mix of blues and greens, each stroke distinct but also blending into a shimmering whole. It’s like he’s not just painting what he sees, but what he feels, the energy of the place. It reminds me a little of Monet, but with a rawer, more physical approach. Both, though, were dedicated to the idea of capturing a moment, a fleeting impression. It’s art as a way of thinking, a way of being in the world, always open to change.