Sad 1927

Tadeusz Makowski made this painting called "Sad," with gentle brushstrokes and a honeyed color palette that almost glows. I can imagine him outside, squinting in the sun, trying to capture a feeling more than a place. See how the trees are not quite defined, but more suggested by their shape? It reminds me of the way a memory feels, hazy but warm. The paint looks thin, like watercolor almost, which gives the whole scene a dreamy quality. That single stroke of darker paint that defines the tree trunk tells you everything you need to know about the tree itself. And the little fence – it's as if Makowski is inviting us into his own private world. Painters are always building on what came before, and I see a little bit of Impressionism in this work. It's like he's speaking to artists across time, saying, "Hey, I feel this way too." It’s lovely, and a little melancholy – like life itself.