Indian Summer 1941

Arthur Dove created ‘Indian Summer’ using oil paint, probably in the early part of the 20th century. The ochre ground feels baked in the sun, and the forms—are they landscape, people?—emerge like apparitions. I imagine Dove layering thin washes, wiping away, and building up these soft, suggestive shapes. The dark circle could be a sun, or some fruit, hanging heavy. That rake-like form on the left, what is that about? It's so blunt, so unrefined. I love it. And the little trio of figures up to the right—they look like they’re facing the same direction. Dove’s got this knack for making simple shapes feel monumental, like he’s channeling some primal energy. He was part of a generation of artists, like Georgia O’Keefe, who were trying to invent a new American visual language. They were all in conversation with each other, trying out different ways of seeing and feeling the world. To me, this painting feels like a personal quest, a moment of quiet searching.