Halt In The Desert 1922

Frederick Arthur Bridgman painted "Halt In The Desert," sometime in the early 20th century. The whole scene shimmers under the sun, scrubby marks suggesting figures resting among the horses and the date palms. I love to imagine Bridgman setting up his easel to paint the people, animals, and light, all at once. The paint handling is quick and loose, but he’s also been really observant of the way the light rakes across the desert floor. It’s all these little strokes, of pinks, mauves, blues, that describe the scene. Look at how he’s dabbed the paint to suggest the texture of the red saddle and the white flowing robes. It’s the color that does so much of the heavy lifting here. There’s something so generous and alive about the making of this, the way it feels immediate, responsive, and intimate. You can see that Bridgman really responded to the scene before him. It makes me want to grab my paints and get outside! It’s a conversation, this painting, between artist and viewer, a little burst of inspiration that keeps going.