Geometric Hillside 2018

William Balthazar Rose painted this landscape on an 80 x 120 cm canvas, without indicating when. The scene has been broken down into its basic shapes, as if the artist is trying to understand how the landscape fits together. I find it so interesting how Rose uses blocks of color and simple forms to depict the rolling hills and fields. The paint is applied in thin layers, allowing the texture of the canvas to peek through, adding a sense of rawness to the work. Notice the dark, almost black, areas that define the foreground – they create a strong contrast with the lighter greens and yellows of the fields, making the composition pop. It reminds me of Cezanne's landscapes, but with a more contemporary feel. Ultimately, art's about exploring different ways of seeing. Rose invites us to slow down and reconsider the world around us, reminding us that there's always more than one way to interpret reality.