Landscape with a Well 1908 - 1912

Jacek Malczewski painted this landscape with a well, probably en plein air, using fluid strokes of color and light. It feels like a fleeting impression caught in oil paint, right? You can almost feel the painter's hand, the way the brush moved to capture the essence of this serene landscape. I wonder what Malczewski was thinking as he layered these strokes, building up the scene, negotiating what to include and what to leave out? I imagine him squinting, trying to capture the way the light plays on the rooftops and shimmers in the water below. He’s using the color and texture of the paint to suggest the weight of the buildings and the lightness of the trees. It reminds me a little of Corot, who was also interested in capturing light and atmosphere. It’s like Malczewski is in conversation with other painters across time, drawn to the challenge of depicting the world around him. It’s a reminder that painting is an act of looking, thinking, and feeling, all at once.