Valley of the Sédelle at Pont Charraud White Frost c. 1903 - 1911

This landscape painting was made by Armand Guillaumin who worked at the same time as the Impressionists, using oil paint to capture the Valley of the Sédelle. You can see the brushstrokes, how they build up the landscape, dot by dot. I imagine Guillaumin standing outside in the cold, trying to capture the hazy atmosphere of the frost, and the muted colors of the landscape. It’s all about layering and blending, like a dance between observation and intuition. I wonder if he was inspired by his friend, Cezanne, to use those distinct little brushstrokes. Or maybe he was thinking about Monet’s paintings of light and atmosphere. You can see how the paint is applied thickly in some areas, creating texture and depth, while other areas are more thinly painted, allowing the canvas to show through. Painters are always looking at each other’s work and I think Guillaumin was part of a community where everyone was trying to figure out how to capture a new way of seeing.