Mutter und Kind bei Tisch 1903

Carl Moll made this painting of a mother and child at a table with what looks like oil paint. I can imagine Moll, brush in hand, trying to catch the light filtering through the window, playing on the white tablecloth. He's using these tiny strokes of paint, almost like he's building up the scene, bit by bit. The coolness of the light coming through the window makes me think of a quiet domestic moment. It's calm, but there’s also this feeling of closeness, the kind you get when someone is sitting near you. There's something about the muted colors that feels very human. Moll wasn't trying to make a big statement. Instead, he was showing us a simple, everyday moment. He was trying to put some feeling into the world, and maybe even start a conversation about what really matters. And isn't that what all us painters are trying to do?