Forest with sheep 1900 - 1910

Ľudovít Čordák painted "Forest with Sheep" with what looks like oil on canvas, and it feels like the kind of piece where the making is right there on the surface. I mean, look at the way he builds up the leaves with these short, choppy strokes, like he's almost dabbing the paint onto the canvas. It's not about hiding the process, it's about celebrating it! There's this one tree, slightly off-center, where you can really see how he layered the greens and browns, creating this incredible sense of depth and texture. The paint isn't overly thick, but you can still feel the physicality of it, you can imagine the movement of his hand, the decisions he made in the moment. It reminds me a bit of some of the Barbizon school painters, you know? That same love for the landscape, that focus on capturing the light and atmosphere. But Čordák brings his own sensibility to it, a certain looseness and informality that makes it feel fresh and alive. Anyway, that’s how I see it.