Blumenstück 1902

Tina Blau made this painting of flowers with oils, and you can see her building up layers of brushstrokes. It’s like the painting itself blossomed into being, through trial, error, and intuition. I can imagine Tina really looking at these flowers, the way the light hits them, and trying to capture it all on the canvas. She’s making choices about which colors to use, how thick or thin to apply the paint, and where to place each stroke. The dabs of paint are quite thick and luscious! Look at the gesture of each flower head, so plump and round. There is such an energy here. Painters are in an ongoing conversation, exchanging ideas across time. When I look at this piece, I think of other paintings of flowers, of course. And I think about how painting itself is a form of expression which embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings.