The Ravine A 1913

Rik Wouters made The Ravine A with oil paint and a dash of Fauvist flair. I love the way he’s not trying to trick you into seeing a real ravine, but rather is inviting you to enjoy the process of seeing itself. Check out how he lays down these brushstrokes, all chunky and playful. The paint is thick, almost like he’s sculpting with color. Look at the greens and oranges, bumping up against each other, making the whole scene vibrate with energy. It’s like he’s saying, "Hey, let’s build a world together, one dab of paint at a time." Then there’s this one little patch of green near the bottom. It’s not just green, it’s got yellows and blues mixed in, like a tiny explosion of life. It reminds me of a similar approach used by Bonnard, both artists revelling in the sheer joy of color. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about answers, but about the endless conversation of seeing.