Nice, Les Platanes 1972

Włodzimierz Zakrzewski made this painting, Les Platanes, in Nice. The surface is a swirling landscape of browns, blues and whites. The paint's applied so thickly; it's practically sculpture! I'm really drawn to the way Zakrzewski handles the branches of the trees. Look closely, and you'll see each stroke is a deliberate mark, building up a dense network of lines that capture the wild, almost chaotic energy of nature. It's like he's wrestling with the paint, trying to capture something fleeting and alive. The way the paint is applied, so physical and present, makes you feel like you're standing right there, feeling the cool air and the shade of the trees. It reminds me a bit of Van Gogh's landscapes, that same intensity and emotional rawness, but Zakrzewski has his own unique voice. He invites us to see the world in a new way, to find beauty in the unexpected.