Plums 1925

Charles Demuth conjured these plums with watercolour, and what a dance of colour and light it is! Imagine him there, brush in hand, coaxing those translucent layers onto the paper, each stroke a delicate decision. I'm thinking of the way he lets the white of the page breathe through, giving the leaves and fruit this luminous quality, like they're lit from within. Look at that juicy red of the plums against the pale yellows and greens – what a contrast! It's like he’s captured a fleeting moment in the orchard. Demuth was pals with Georgia O’Keeffe, and, like her, he had such an original and distinct vision. Artists are always looking and responding to each other. Every brushstroke is a conversation across time, you know? Painting is a fluid language that we all can speak.