Feldarbeiter In Thüringen 1911

Lesser Ury made this painting of field workers, maybe around the turn of the century, with oil on what I imagine to be a smallish canvas. There's an openness to his brushwork that's really refreshing. Ury's got this loose way of putting paint down, the strokes are visible and kind of chunky, especially in the sky, right? It's like he’s trying to capture a feeling more than a perfect picture. Look at the way he builds up the clouds, thick daubs of white and grey, all rough and immediate. And then, those tiny figures working the land – they're like gestures, almost abstract. I’m especially drawn to the big, dark tree on the right side. It’s a messy tangle of greens and browns, not trying to be perfect or detailed, just raw and full of life. It reminds me a little of Courbet, that same love for the physical stuff of painting. You know, art isn’t about getting it right, it’s about the conversation, the back and forth between the artist and the paint.