Path through the Irises 02 1917

Here's Monet, painting irises with visible brushstrokes in shades of blue, green, and purple. It feels like witnessing a private, meditative act. You know, painting outside is not easy. I’ve done it, lugging equipment, battling bugs, and chasing the light. There’s a kind of dance of mark-making that happens as you try to capture the essence of a fleeting moment. I wonder if Monet felt that pressure, or did he find a sense of freedom in the face of nature's overwhelming beauty? Look at the way he layers the paint, thick in some areas, thin in others. The texture alone communicates so much about the irises. And those blues! They remind you of other painters who were obsessed with capturing the way light transforms color, people like Turner or Whistler. Monet is in conversation with them, but he’s also pushing beyond, finding his own way to express what he sees and feels. Painting allows for so many interpretations of an idea. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, and it’s what makes art so endlessly compelling.