Acacias 1959

André Lhote made this painting, Acacias, with oil paint on canvas. It’s all about how Lhote put paint down, one stroke at a time. Look at how he builds up the shapes, like a puzzle. There's something so satisfying about the way he uses color. He's not trying to trick you into thinking you're looking at a real landscape. Instead, he's showing you how he sees and feels the world. The brushstrokes are confident and playful, as if he's dancing with the paint. Notice the way he contrasts warm and cool colors, like the orange against the blues, making your eyes bounce around the canvas. There's this one dark mark, almost like a bird taking flight, which contrasts against the yellows. This work reminds me a bit of Cezanne, who explored the structure of things. But Lhote brings his own vibe, and his own way of seeing. It’s all about how we can keep talking to each other through art.