The Path of forest 1928

Andre Derain's "The Path of Forest" is an oil on canvas that pulls you into a world of ochre and greens. I can imagine Derain, standing there, maybe a bit lost, trying to capture the feeling of being enveloped by these woods. It is like a Fauvist daydream! The paint looks thin, scrubbed in, and the way the colours vibrate against each other is pretty exciting. Look at the strokes that form the path. They are not precise, but they suggest the ground shifting beneath your feet, a kind of stumbling forward. I wonder if he was thinking about Cezanne? There’s a similar interest in structure, but with an added boldness. It's like he is pushing the boundaries, asking, "How much can I simplify and still convey the essence of this place?" I feel a kinship with Derain. We painters are all in this ongoing conversation, riffing off each other, trying to make sense of the world through colour and form.