Landscape by a Brook 1908

Bertalan Por’s 'Landscape by a Brook' is like a Fauvist dream, all bold strokes and unapologetic color. It's clear Por wasn't trying to mimic reality, but rather to capture its essence through pure, unadulterated paint. The way he lays down the greens and yellows for the grass, so thick you can almost feel the texture, reminds me of Van Gogh’s feverish landscapes. Then there’s that cobalt sky, dashed in as if the sky was a last-minute thought, yet it sets the whole mood. Look at the dark, almost violent, strokes that make up the tree trunk, a stark contrast to the softer, blended colors in the background. It’s like a battle between form and feeling, control and abandon. Por’s piece has this raw, honest quality, and it feels very connected to that early 20th-century urge to break free from academic constraints and just paint what it feels like. I think someone like Derain or Vlaminck would have felt right at home in front of this canvas. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing experiment, a wild conversation across time.