Cows in the woods 1938

Ivan Generalic made this painting, *Cows in the Woods*, using oil on glass. Can you imagine that? Painting on glass. It must be very smooth. The trees have a mind-boggling intricacy of detail, and the palette feels muted, like it's been bleached by the sun. The landscape has been reduced to simple shapes, and the house back there feels iconic. The cows are wandering into the yard. It feels folksy, almost quaint. I love the rhythm of those leafy trees and how they mirror each other. I wonder if he thought about other painters when he made this? I like to think we’re all in conversation, across time. Artists are constantly referencing, playing, and riffing on each other's ideas. This feels to me like painting as embodied expression, a kind of embracing of the world, ambiguities and all.