Spring 1906

Robert Lewis Reid made this painting called ‘Spring’ without specifying a date, but its loose brushstrokes and light palette suggest a kind of artmaking that privileges process, the fleeting impression over some kind of concrete representation. Look how he builds up the scene, almost like a mosaic of brushstrokes, a symphony of blues and greens. The paint isn’t thick, but there’s a real texture to it. You can almost feel the dabs and strokes, the way the artist moved his hand. I love how the figure in the foreground feels both present and a little lost in the composition, that the textures and light bounce off her dress and pull her back into the scene. It's less about *her* and more about how the light makes the whole painting glow. Reid was part of the American Impressionist movement. You might think of other paintings by artists like Childe Hassam when you look at this piece, which shows how artists build on each others ideas across time. The point isn’t to pin down one meaning, but to let the painting open up different possibilities.