Maria Verkündigung 1919

Heinrich Campendonk made Maria Verkündigung with watercolor on paper and the process is so clear, it’s really about laying down transparent washes. It gives the whole image this open, airy feeling. Look at the blue face and limbs of Mary herself, it’s like she’s breathing blue, like a part of the atmosphere. And then the red strokes on her dress? Raw, immediate. You can almost feel the brush moving, pushing the paint around. This guy Campendonk was hanging out with the Blue Rider group, with Kandinsky and Marc. They believed in art that came from the soul. And you see that here, right? It’s not about perfect representation, it’s about something deeper, like a feeling. Much like Emil Nolde, Campendonk’s Maria Verkündigung is not a fixed idea but an open question. It embraces a feeling instead of telling you what to think.