Waldlandschaft 1923

Otto Mueller made *Waldlandschaft* with tempera paint on canvas sometime in the early 20th century, and what I see is a layering of colour that feels deeply intuitive. It's like Mueller is building the scene from the inside out. The painting has this amazing matte surface, right? And you can almost feel the texture of the canvas coming through, adding to that raw, immediate feel. I'm drawn to how the trunks intersect, creating these almost geometric shapes that contrast with the organic forms of the leaves. It's like he's trying to find a balance between order and chaos, control and freedom. There's something about the way Mueller simplifies the forms, focusing on essential shapes and colors, that reminds me of Cézanne’s landscapes, but with a more expressive, almost primal energy. To me, art is always about this ongoing conversation, where artists riff off each other, and the meaning is never truly fixed.