Artist Colony 1912

Kmetty János made "Artist Colony" with paint and probably a brush – maybe several brushes of different sizes! I like to think about the physical act of painting, and I really feel the artist in this one. Look how Kmetty built up the forms of the bushes and trees with these thick, deliberate strokes. The way the light hits them, it’s almost sculptural. I imagine him outside, squinting in the sun, trying to capture the essence of the place, and also really thinking about form and composition. It reminds me a little of Cézanne, you know, the way he's simplifying the shapes and using color to define the planes. All painters are in conversation with each other, riffing off ideas. Painting is a constant experiment. The artist is always asking, ‘What if I try this?’ It is really freeing to know that you don't have to be ‘correct’ or reach a definitive statement, but instead embrace a range of possibilities.