Banks of the Seine 1912

Magnus Enckell made this painting of the Banks of the Seine with what looks like oil on canvas. It's full of these short, broken strokes and a muted but luminous palette. I'm imagining him right there by the river, trying to catch the way the light filters through the bare branches of the trees. What’s he thinking as he dabs these little marks onto the canvas, trying to build this whole world from color and texture? Look at the sky – it’s this mix of pale blues, pinks, and yellows, like he’s trying to hold onto the last bit of daylight. There’s a real tenderness in the way he handles the paint, a feeling of being present in that moment. Think of other artists working with these kinds of fleeting effects, like the Impressionists. But Enckell’s got something else going on here, a kind of quiet intensity that feels very personal. It’s like he’s inviting us to see the world through his eyes, to find beauty in the everyday. And that’s what painting’s all about, right? This constant conversation across time, where artists inspire each other to see things in new ways.