Landscape from Toledo 1930

Iosif Iser made this painting of Toledo, probably with oils, judging by the lushness of the colours. Look how the brushstrokes aren't trying to hide, they're out there, chunky and free. You can almost feel the painting being built, layer by layer. I love how the blues in the sky feel chalky, like he just dragged the paint across, and then you’ve got that creamy, pale yellow of the tower that’s so smooth, it almost looks edible. That little black figure walking near the center, they ground the whole scene. Iser wasn't afraid to keep it real, to show the imperfections, the raw edges. It reminds me of early Matisse, that same love for color, that same willingness to let the painting be a painting, not just a picture. There's a conversation happening between artists across time, each one building on what came before, messing it up, making it new. It’s never finished!