Morro Vermelho 1926

Lasar Segall's painting, Morro Vermelho, probably involved a lot of looking, some drawing, and then the mixing of colors—reds, oranges, purples—into a kind of fiery harmony. The painting feels both solid and dreamlike, right? I mean, I can imagine Segall, born in Lithuania, thinking of the color and light of Brazil. Maybe he wanted to capture a sense of place. But what does it mean to hold place, and how is that related to holding a child? I keep thinking about the emotional temperature of this painting, the way the light feels warm but the figures are kind of solemn. Are they safe? Are they feeling trapped by this town? I see some influence from German Expressionism here, the kind of painting that bends reality a little to get at something deeper. It is an invitation to slow down, to feel, and to ask questions. What's more to life than that?