In the park of St. Cloud – Fall II 1906

Wassily Kandinsky made this painting, “In the park of St. Cloud – Fall II,” with oil on canvas, and you can see how the paint itself becomes the subject. Look at how he builds up these thick, expressive strokes. He’s not just depicting a park; he's also exploring the sheer physicality of paint. I am really drawn to the lower portion of the canvas, where these dark, saturated colors create a kind of abstracted ground. You see these little flecks of yellows and pinks. They’re kind of scattered across the surface, like fallen leaves. Each mark is laid down with such intention, it’s like a little gesture, a little dance of color. It’s almost like Kandinsky’s inviting us to feel the crunch of leaves under our feet. This reminds me of Van Gogh, who really used the brushstroke to convey emotion. Like Van Gogh, Kandinsky helps us to see and feel the world in a new way. It reminds us that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth, between artists and ideas.