Walking in the Park 1914

August Macke made Walking in the Park with oil on canvas, and it feels like he’s inviting us into a daydream. The way he’s dabbed and stroked the paint, it’s all about feeling rather than describing. Look at the big strokes of green that make up the trees. It's like he’s scumbled the paint on, letting the colors mix optically. The leaves aren’t really leaves but more like a memory of leaves. The texture is amazing, almost velvety, which makes you want to reach out and touch it, even though you know you shouldn't! And the colors – that zingy orange against the deep blue of the skirt and umbrella. It feels so alive! It's a conversation between the colors themselves, not just what they represent. The red around the bottom of the painting feels like the path is vibrating. You know, Macke was part of the Expressionist movement, but he had a lightness, an optimism that sets him apart. You can see a similar approach in the work of Gabriele Münter, a contemporary, but Macke's got his own special flavor. Art's just one big, messy, beautiful conversation, right?