Two Old Trees 1940

Wanda Gág made "Two Old Trees" with watercolor, probably sometime in the early to mid-20th century. The way she layers these muted grays and browns, it's all about the process, like she’s feeling her way through the scene. Look closely, and you’ll see how the paint is thin, almost transparent in places, giving the whole thing a ghostly, dreamlike quality. The texture isn't about heavy impasto, but more about the delicate touch of the brush, building up layers to create depth and atmosphere. Notice the strokes around the bare branches of the central tree, how they reach out like skeletal fingers against the pale sky. It’s like the tree is a metaphor, maybe for aging, maybe for resilience. Gág reminds me of Milton Avery, in how both artists share a similar interest in simplified forms, and quiet, introspective moods. Ultimately, the painting invites us to find our own meaning in its ambiguities.