Blossoming Lilac c. 1921

Max Slevogt made Blossoming Lilac with oil on canvas at an unknown date. The way he's handled the paint is so loose and immediate, you can almost feel the breeze rustling through the leaves. See how he's built up those lilacs with thick, juicy strokes of lavender and white? It’s like he's sculpting with color! And look at the lower right corner. The way he's dabbed those greens and reds together, it's so physical, so alive. You can practically smell the earth. It reminds me of the kind of energy I try to capture when I’m working, that sense of being right there in the middle of it all. This piece is a great example of impressionism, a little like Monet but with a certain earthy groundedness all its own. It reminds us that art is not just about representation but about the messy, beautiful act of creation itself.