The descending street at Locronan 1906

Maxime Maufra captured this descending street at Locronan with oil on canvas, and you can almost feel the damp chill in the air. The colour palette is subdued, mostly greys and greens, but there are pops of warmth in the buildings. Look at the surface of the painting; it's thick and textured, you can almost see the individual brushstrokes, especially in the sky. There’s a real physicality to the paint here, and Maufra doesn't try to hide the process. It's like he's saying, "Here's how it's done." There is a particular stroke of white in the centre of the road, and it feels like a moment of pure light breaking through. Maufra's painting reminds me a little of Camille Pissarro, with his focus on everyday scenes and his interest in capturing the effects of light. But Maufra has his own unique voice, a little more raw, a little more immediate. Art is a conversation across time.