Pontcharra, Vallée de l’Isère, le Mont Granier dans le fond 1901

Armand Guillaumin, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century, made this painting of the Pontcharra valley with oil on canvas. The way he's dabbed on the paint, it's like he's building up the scene, brick by brick, or maybe note by note. Look at the field in the foreground, how it shimmers with these flicks of ochre and brown. It's not just a field; it’s a buzz of energy, almost humming. Then your eye wanders up to the trees. They're solid, sturdy, but even they are made up of a thousand little gestures, a thousand touches. I mean the whole thing just breathes, and lives. And those mountains in the back? They are like soft giants, watching over everything. There is something about the way he built this up, like he didn't want to make too much noise. It’s not like Monet, but there's something gentle and humane in it. Like the guy wanted to leave a light footprint.