Tuscan Landscape 1922

Alberto Magnelli made this Tuscan landscape with oil paint, probably alla prima, working fast, wet on wet. Imagine Magnelli standing there, squinting in the Tuscan light. What’s he thinking? I bet he’s thinking about those vertical trees! I mean, look how he lines them up like soldiers, all dark and twisty. The paint is thin, almost watery, but he builds these solid forms. They make me think of Giotto, but cubist. I love the way he lays down those ochre hills and blushy skies. And that building with the red roof – it’s like a geometric shout-out! Those cool, muted colors are doing a lot of heavy lifting. It feels very Italian, but also totally modern. He paints with such certainty. Magnelli, like all artists, had his heroes, and he probably hoped other artists would come along later, look at his paintings, and steal something, carry on the conversation.