Haystack at Giverny 1908

Samuel Mutzner made this painting, Haystack at Giverny, with oils, probably en plein air. I love the colour harmony, the yellows and violets give it a real atmospheric glow. You can see the marks of the brush all over the place, it’s this dance of colour and gesture that really activates the surface. It's all about this kind of optical mixing, you know? Up close, you can almost taste the texture of the hay, feel its scratchiness through the paint. The lower portion of the haystack, for instance, is a dense weave of muted purples and browns, laid on with short, deliberate strokes. See how this anchors the form to the earth, contrasting with the sun-drenched yellows near the top? This reminds me a little of Bonnard, someone else who understood that painting is just organized colour and texture. In the end, this haystack’s not just a haystack, it’s a record of a moment in time, a process, a way of seeing.