Bunter Sommerblumenstrauß 1915

Christian Rohlfs made this painting of a colorful summer bouquet with paint, but what’s so cool is that the paint isn’t trying to trick you. He lays down these bold strokes of color, like the globs of red that form the hearts of the flowers, and they almost feel like a code. You know, like he’s giving us the secret language of seeing. The way he’s built up the image with these simple, direct marks makes me think about how art is really just a conversation between colors and shapes. Look at how he uses that thick blue outline on the vase – it’s almost cartoonish, but it anchors the whole image. It reminds me a bit of Matisse, especially his way of using color to create space and light. Rohlfs isn't trying to copy nature; he’s inventing his own version of it. And that’s what makes art so exciting, right? It’s never just one thing; it’s always a bunch of possibilities all at once.