At the Coast of Normandy 1909

Gustave Loiseau made this painting of the coast of Normandy with oil on canvas, and when you look at it you can really see how he uses tiny dabs and strokes of paint to create the image. The color palette feels muted, almost like a faded memory, but somehow so clear at the same time. If you look closely at the lower part of the painting, the foreground is like a dense garden, with greens and reds and purples all mashed together. The paint is applied so thickly that it almost feels like you could reach out and touch the individual blades of grass. There is this big, bare tree smack dab in the middle, like a ghostly figure, drawing your eye up and into the painting. Loiseau’s work here reminds me of Camille Pissarro, especially in his use of broken color and his dedication to capturing the everyday beauty of the French countryside. The way he handles the paint, the way he sees the world, is all about embracing the unexpected and finding beauty in the imperfect.