Landscape with figure 1904

Joan Brull made "Landscape with Figure" with visible, soft brushstrokes and a pastel palette, leaving traces of his handiwork in the final piece. I imagine him layering the paint, maybe even scraping it back, trying to capture the stillness of the landscape and the ephemeral quality of light as it filters through the clouds. I wonder, did he start with the figure, or the landscape? I sympathize with that push and pull, trying to find the right balance. There’s a vulnerability in the way Brull applies the paint, a tenderness that speaks to the fragility of perception. Look at the way the light hits the woman’s face. Is she reaching towards the light, or trying to shield herself from it? Brull’s paintings remind us that artists are always in conversation with one another, echoing and riffing on ideas across time. He embraces ambiguity, leaving room for us to project our own feelings onto the canvas. What is it about landscapes that draw us in?