Šariš Valley 1905

Ľudovít Čordák painted this landscape, Šariš Valley, with oil on canvas, but when, exactly, remains a mystery! The greens and browns kind of vibrate against each other in this piece, don't they? I like how he hasn't overworked the paint, instead leaving it loose and gestural. Look closely, and you can see the strokes of the brush, especially in the foliage, where dabs of darker greens and browns suggest depth and texture. The ground plane is created with similar strokes and dabs, which keeps the whole thing moving and alive. It's interesting how Čordák uses the materiality of paint to give us a sense of a place, a valley, but it’s more a feeling than a description, a process more than a picture. It reminds me a bit of Courbet, but with a lighter, more atmospheric touch. It seems like Čordák is inviting us to wander into the scene, to feel the sun on our faces, and to breathe in the fresh air.