In a Studio 1905

Anton Azbe made this scene of a studio with oil paint, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. He's working fast to get down what he sees, and it's this process of seeing and mark-making that I find so interesting. Look at the way he's laid the paint on in strokes, not covering the canvas completely, but letting it breathe. The colors are muted – browns, grays, a touch of red. Up close, you can see how Azbe dragged the brush across the surface, leaving these beautiful ridges and textures. And there's a real contrast in the application of paint; in some areas it's thick and opaque, in others thin and transparent. This contrast draws you in, doesn't it? This piece reminds me a bit of Corot, who was painting these landscapes with a similar sense of immediacy and feeling. I think of art as just artists chattering across time, each one responding to the others. It's not about getting one right answer, but just making a space where we can all talk.