Our street with horse riding, Bonn 1913

August Macke made this painting of Our street with horse riding, Bonn, probably around 1913, using oil on canvas. The way Macke's laid down these colors is so flat and simplified, it’s like he's handing you a map to a feeling. I love how the buildings become almost like abstract shapes, blocks of color fitted together. It's not about the perfect representation, but about capturing the essence, the mood of a place. Look at the street itself, that bold orange path leading you into the scene, and how the little figures are just these dark accents adding a sense of scale. And there’s this mysterious, almost cartoon-like chunk of green on the right – a big blob of a tree that refuses to sit nicely in the composition. It reminds me of the way Léger would simplify forms, but there's a warmth here, a human touch, that feels very Macke. Ultimately, paintings like this remind us that art is a conversation, an ongoing exploration of seeing and feeling.