Bloemmotieven op een geel fond Possibly 1918

Theo Colenbrander made "Bloemmotieven op een geel fond" with watercolour in an unknown year. Right away I’m struck by the layering of the colours, how the yellow seeps into the greens and reds to create soft washes. It’s like the colours are having a conversation, not quite blending, but definitely influencing each other. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the paper underneath, which gives it this really intimate, handmade feel. I’m drawn to the playful way the shapes bump up against each other like in a Matisse cut out. It feels very intuitive and gestural, you know? Like Colenbrander was just letting the colours and shapes guide him, one mark leading to the next. This piece makes me think of Hilma af Klint, in that way it embraces abstraction while hinting at something deeper, more spiritual. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to make perfect sense to be deeply moving.