View of Stockholm 1917

Isaac Grünewald made this ‘View of Stockholm’ with paint, at an unknown date. Looking at this painting, it’s like Grünewald is feeling out the world with colour, like a kid with crayons. The painting is less about what Stockholm looks like, and more about how it feels to be there, seeing it all. The way the paint is applied here, it's not about hiding the process. You can see the strokes, the way he mixed colours right on the canvas. Take the row of figures, tiny strokes that make them look like a picket fence. It's as if he's saying, "Here's how I see it, take it or leave it." You could see some echoes of Matisse or the Fauves in this work. But Grünewald takes it somewhere else, his touch looser, his palette a bit stranger. Ultimately, this painting is a reminder that art isn't about perfection or accuracy. It's about feeling, seeing, and sharing a vision, however imperfect.