Bunter Sommerblumenstrauß 1915

Christian Rohlfs made this joyful painting of summer flowers with swooping brushstrokes, and a palette of thick reds, yellows, and blues. I can just imagine him there in his studio, layering the paint, maybe wiping some away, and then adding more, a kind of back and forth until these lively blooms emerged. I find it very human, don’t you think? Like the vase is about to topple over, it's off kilter. The brushstrokes are juicy and confident, but also a bit clumsy, and the colors are saturated and intense. I find it really freeing to see a painting like this; Rohlfs wasn’t afraid to be imperfect, or to embrace the messy vitality of nature. He's riffing here on color and mark-making in a way that reminds me of Van Gogh, but with a lightness and exuberance all his own. Ultimately, it's a reminder that painting is really an ongoing conversation between artists across time, each inspiring the other to see the world anew.