Plate with Fruits and Shellfish 1953

Max Gubler made this painting of fruit and shellfish with oil on canvas. Gubler’s brushstrokes feel alive. The colors feel muted but there's a subtle energy in the way he applies them. I love how the ordinary is made strange, like the shadows around the shell. They almost make the shell look as though it is floating. It feels like there’s a very particular light in the room. Note the way the blues and oranges mix in the background, building a space around the objects. This isn't just a depiction of things, it’s about the act of seeing and feeling. It feels like I am in the room with the shell and the fruit. The rawness reminds me of Chaim Soutine, though with a Swiss sensibility. Ultimately, paintings like these tell us that art isn’t about perfect representation. It’s more about embracing the mess and the beauty of the process.