Toledo Cathedral 1998

Alejandro Cabeza used oil to make 'Toledo Cathedral', and from the looks of it, this painting emerged through layers. I can imagine him outside, squinting, trying to capture the light hitting that creamy-colored facade, the dark archway, and the intense green foliage. The paint is applied pretty thickly, giving the leaves real texture, like he’s trying to build the density of the trees right on the canvas. There’s this little sapling in the middle with spots of red fruit – maybe oranges? I can imagine him thinking about what it was like for other artists who painted in similar settings, like Joaquin Sorolla, who was so taken with gardens and the quality of light. There is something so cool about seeing how artists respond to artists across time. We're all working out how to represent what we see and feel, but never quite pinning it down. And that’s the magic of painting – it's an ongoing conversation.