Flirtation at the Well 1902

"Flirtation at the Well" appears to be oil on canvas, by Eugene de Blaas. I wonder how long it took de Blaas to complete? The composition looks spontaneous, yet the work is undeniably precise. The colour palette is muted, calm, yet there is a liveliness, created through this almost hyper-real illustrative style. I can imagine de Blaas patiently applying thin layers of paint, building up the image, and then making tiny adjustments here and there to create the perfect moment. I think de Blaas is trying to offer us, the viewer, a perfect scene. It's interesting how historical paintings, like this one, have something to teach us about the world through an exchange of pictorial ideas.