Bathing Boys 1907

Max Liebermann painted "Bathing Boys" on a 45.5 x 53.5 cm canvas with oil paints sometime in his career. Liebermann’s approach is all about loose, expressive marks. He doesn't fuss over details; it's more about capturing the feeling of the moment. The color palette is muted, mostly earth tones, which gives the painting a kind of hazy, dreamlike quality. Up close, you can really see the physicality of the paint. It's thick in some areas, especially in the waves, where Liebermann uses impasto to create texture and movement. The way he applies the paint, almost like he's sculpting with it, makes the scene come alive. Look at the figure in the foreground, the one with the yellow cloak. The brushstrokes are so gestural, so full of energy, that you can almost feel the wind and the spray of the water. It reminds me of Courbet but with a lighter touch. Ultimately, Liebermann shows us that art is about seeing and feeling, rather than just recording.