Boerderij langsheen de Gistelse Steenweg 1930

Léon Spilliaert made this watercolour of a farm along the Gistelse Steenweg, and I can imagine him outside in the landscape, trying to capture the scene, maybe squinting a little. I love how he's orchestrated the hues, letting the pale sky wash over everything, unifying the scene, and then that gorgeous mound of golden hay is like a burst of sunshine. It's so vivid, it practically vibrates against the muted greens and browns. The stark white walls of the buildings feel very still and silent. I wonder if Spilliaert was thinking about the way light can transform even the most ordinary view into something magical. The painting feels like an intimate observation of a quiet moment. It reminds me that painting can be a way of making sense of the world, one brushstroke at a time.