View of Szentendre 1912 45 60 Cm 1912

Kmetty János made this view of Szentendre in 1912 with oils on canvas. Look at how these earthy browns, greens, and creams come together in blocks and planes! I imagine János standing outside, squinting, trying to capture the light as it hits these buildings. It feels like he’s wrestling with the image, figuring out how to translate the three-dimensional world onto a flat surface. Look at how the brushstrokes build up texture, especially in the foreground. You can almost feel the roughness of the ground beneath your feet. See the stark tree that splits the composition, like a crack, leading your eye upwards to the church tower beyond? I bet János was looking at Cézanne when he made this. There's a similar interest in structure and form. Artists are always talking to each other, across time and space. They are constantly pushing the boundaries of what painting can do. They use painting to show us the world in new and unexpected ways.