Jong meisje op het strand 1924 - 1925

Léon Spilliaert painted "Young Girl on the Beach", with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is how he builds the form with a very limited range of colours. Look at the way the sandy colours of the beach are built up with subtle greys and pinks. This gives the image a hazy, dreamlike quality, the same is true of the sky. The overall effect is one of muted calmness, reflecting the contemplative mood of the young girl. See how Spilliaert uses thin, translucent layers of paint, allowing the texture of the canvas to subtly show through. This technique creates a delicate surface that feels almost ethereal. The slight variations in tone suggest the movement of light across the scene, enhancing the sense of depth and atmosphere. The way she’s holding the walking stick reminds me of a Van Gogh portrait. It’s a painting that feels less about representation and more about capturing a mood or a feeling through colour and light.