Still Life with Water Jug, Towel and Jars 1929

Vilhelm Lundstrom made this still life with a water jug, towel, and jars using oil on canvas. Look at how Lundstrom lays down these confident blocks of color. The subtle blues, ochres, and greens give the painting a quiet, contemplative mood, but the boldness of the shapes keeps it punchy. It's like he's saying, "this is how I see the world, simple, sturdy, and with a touch of melancholy." I love the way the towel is rendered. The folds are suggested with these thick, juicy lines, almost like calligraphy. You can feel the weight of the material, but also the lightness of the artist's touch. He's not trying to trick you into thinking it's a real towel, he's showing you what paint can do. It makes me think of Morandi, another painter who found endless inspiration in the humble objects around him. Both artists remind us that painting isn't about perfection, it's about process, about seeing, feeling, and making marks that somehow capture the essence of things.