Gemünden am Main 1932

In 1932, Fried Stern sat somewhere near Gemünden am Main and captured this landscape with pencil and watercolour. You can almost feel the movement of the artist’s hand as they build up the image, layer by layer. I imagine them there, squinting in the sun, deciding which details to emphasize, which to leave to the imagination. The strokes are so gentle, so considered, that the landscape seems to breathe. The colours are muted – soft greens and blues, a sandy path, suggesting a world seen through a veil. It reminds me of other artists, like Agnes Martin, who used a similar soft touch to evoke a sense of quiet contemplation. But here, Stern is also mapping a specific place. I’m inspired by how Stern is in conversation with the world around them, and how they transform it through the simple act of drawing and painting. It’s a reminder that art is always an exchange, a dialogue between the artist, the subject, and us, the viewers.