Landscape 1914

Jean Metzinger painted this 'Landscape' and you can see he's not just copying what he sees, but trying to understand it, like art is a form of thought. The colours, mostly greens and browns, feel grounded, but the shapes are anything but; the tree is like a big, soft cube! Look at how he renders the bricks in the wall; each one is distinct, but they form a cohesive whole, a bit like how we build up an idea from different perspectives. The paint looks like it's been applied in layers, building up this dimensional surface. See that figure in the background, like a little slash of red? It's not just a person; it’s a spark, a point of interest. It feels like he's having a conversation with Picasso or Braque; it's about pushing what painting can do and it's definitely not about being neat! Art doesn't need to have one right answer, it's about the questions it asks.