Norra maastik 1908 - 1911

Konrad Mägi made this oil painting, Northern Landscape, with what looks like short, deliberate brushstrokes, almost like he's knitting the scene together. There's a real sense of process; you can feel him building up the layers, one stroke at a time. The texture is amazing, thick and juicy in places, especially in those foreground trees with their almost-orange blossom - or are they fruit? He's not trying to hide anything; the brushstrokes are right there, front and center. It's like he wants you to see how the painting was made. The way he captures light is interesting, it almost vibrates off the surface, doesn't it? The composition reminds me a bit of Van Gogh, especially in how he's not afraid to use color to create depth and form. It's this embrace of ambiguity, this openness to interpretation, that makes art so exciting.