Couple in the woods 1912

August Macke made "Couple in the Woods," an oil on canvas painting, sometime in the early 20th century. Look how Macke divides the space into all these colourful geometric shapes. It's almost like he's not just painting what he sees, but what he *feels* when he looks at the woods. The texture in this piece is fascinating; you can see the brushstrokes, how the paint is applied in layers, not trying to hide the process. The way he uses colors, especially the blues and greens contrasting with the warm reds and browns, creates a vibrant, almost dreamlike atmosphere. See that small area of concentrated greens in the lower right of the painting? It draws your eye, grounding the composition. Macke was definitely looking at the Cubists, playing with how we see and understand space. It’s like he’s saying, "Here’s a woods, but also here’s the pure joy of painting!"