Open Window 1928

Raoul Dufy made this painting, “Open Window” with oil on canvas, and looking at it now, I think he must have been having a really good time. The way he's layered the colours – especially that bright, almost cartoonish blue – it’s so playful. And, you know, when you get up close, you can see how the paint isn't trying to hide anything. It's thin in places, thick in others, and you can almost trace the path of his brush. Look at the window frame itself. The way the blues and whites meet. It's not precise, but it doesn't need to be. It's about feeling more than seeing, about capturing a moment, an atmosphere. There's a loose, improvisational quality to Dufy's work that reminds me of Matisse. They both had this knack for making painting look easy, even though you know it's anything but. It's a conversation, a dance between colors and shapes. And it's a reminder that sometimes, the most interesting things happen when you let go of control and just trust the process.