Summer 1940

Cyprián Majerník made this painting, called 'Summer', with oil on canvas sometime in the early to mid 20th century, and it’s interesting how he’s used a limited palette to suggest a whole world. There's something so grounded and real about the way the paint sits on the surface, thick in places, creating a kind of topographical map of the scene. Look at the way the light hits the backs of the cows, each brushstroke a little nugget of color, building up the form. I’m drawn to the reflection in the water, all those broken brushstrokes suggesting movement and shimmer. It feels honest, like he’s showing us the work that went into it, rather than trying to hide it. You can see the influence of someone like Courbet in the rural subject matter, but there’s also something very personal and poetic about Majerník’s approach, a kind of quiet observation that invites us to slow down and really see. It reminds me that art is always a conversation, each artist building on what came before, but adding their own voice to the mix.