Boats on the Danube (Vâlcov) 1924

Nicolae Darascu painted these boats on the Danube, probably en plein air, with oil on canvas. The painting feels like a direct response to being there, a diaristic record. Up close, you can see how Darascu built the image from simple marks. It’s almost like he’s asking, what is the least I can do to make a boat? Look at the reflections in the water and you can see how, with just a few strokes of blues and greens, he creates the impression of depth. It’s a great example of the way paint can give us the feeling of light, air, and space, all with just a few confident gestures. Painters like Manet come to mind when I look at Darascu's painting, they share an interest in the materiality of paint itself. And like Manet, Darascu shows us that a painting is not just a picture, it's also an object made of stuff.