Girl in the greenery 1914

August Macke made "Girl in the Greenery" with oil on canvas, but when? Who knows. What I like is the way the marks are laid down, flat and kind of clunky, but somehow still managing to dance. It's not about hiding the brushstrokes; it's about letting them be, embracing the messiness of the medium. I’m seeing greens and blues, but also these punches of red that give the whole thing a jolt. Take a look at the girl in the foreground with the red hair. The way the color bleeds into the greenery is both jarring and harmonious. It's like the whole painting is vibrating with energy. I’m thinking about Matisse, how he used color and simplified forms to create these super lively paintings. It’s like they’re both searching for ways to capture the joy of being alive. Painting is always a conversation.