Forest edge 1903

Wassily Kandinsky made this oil painting, called ‘Forest Edge’, using a flurry of brushstrokes and dabs of color. He's not trying to copy nature; it's more like he’s channeling it. Look closely, and you'll see how the paint is applied in these short, choppy marks. It’s pretty thick in places, almost like little globs of color sitting on the surface. The texture is alive, and you can practically feel the energy of the forest coming through. The way he’s put down the paint really speaks to the process, to his hand moving across the canvas. It's not about hiding the brushstrokes but about celebrating them. See that cluster of yellow and orange at the top? It almost vibrates with warmth. It’s not just about what the painting depicts but how it's made, and that’s what gives it its emotional punch. Kandinsky had a connection to the work of the Fauvist painters who were working around the same time, like Matisse, who thought about colour in a similar way. In the end, though, it’s hard to pin him down, and that's probably for the best.