The High Shore 1923

Lyonel Feininger made this painting with oil on canvas, and it's like he's building a world out of geometric shards. You can see the sharp angles and how they create a sense of depth. Imagine Feininger, layering these translucent planes of colour, trying to capture the essence of light on this shore. I wonder if he started with an idea of the landscape or if it emerged through the act of painting itself, shifting and changing with each brushstroke. The blues and greys are so subtle. Notice how the paint isn't thick or showy, but quietly builds a space. The way the light falls on those geometric forms, it reminds me of how we construct our understanding of the world, piece by piece. It makes me think about how all painters, like Feininger, are in conversation with each other across time, sharing and borrowing ideas. Painting embraces uncertainty. There's no one right way to see it.