Autumn in the Slanca valley 1905 - 1909

Ľudovít Čordák made this painting of the Slanca valley in autumn using oil on canvas. Look at the way the colors create an overall muted, almost dreamlike effect. The paint is applied in layers that feel both considered and spontaneous. It's easy to imagine Čordák standing en plein air, capturing the subtle shifts in light across the landscape. Notice the way the brushstrokes move in different directions, mirroring the movement of the wind through the trees and grass. There’s a real sense of physicality here, of the artist's hand moving across the canvas. Then, see the figure, painted with just a few strokes of paint, almost swallowed by the immensity of the landscape. The composition recalls the work of Corot, with its emphasis on atmospheric perspective. Like Corot, Čordák invites us to lose ourselves in the beauty of the natural world, and to contemplate the fleeting nature of time. What does this painting make you feel? There is no right or wrong answer!