Meadow in Bloom 1913

Egbert Schaap made this oil on canvas of a meadow; you can almost feel the cool, crisp air. I imagine him outside, squinting, trying to capture the light just so. He’s using short, quick strokes, dabbing the canvas with creams, greens, and hints of blue. The paint isn’t too thick, but you can still see the texture, those tiny peaks and valleys where the brush lifted away. It’s like he’s trying to show us how the light feels as much as how the meadow looks. I wonder if he ever felt like he was failing, like the painting wasn’t good enough. I know that feeling! But there's something lovely in the way he embraced the challenge of painting something so fleeting, so alive. Maybe the French Impressionists like Monet were in his head? They’re all part of this big, ongoing conversation, inspiring each other across time. Ultimately, this painting is an invitation to step into that meadow, to feel the breeze, and to wonder at the beauty of a single, sun-drenched moment.