Poplars by the road 1920 - 1930

Ľudovít Čordák painted these ‘Poplars by the road’ with oils, probably alla prima – that is, in one sitting. He’s got this lovely, muted palette, all browns and greens, and then bam! That little flash of blue on the walking figure. Looking closely, you can see the texture of the paint, it’s applied in these short, choppy strokes, especially in the foliage. It’s like he’s building up the image, brick by brick, with these tiny dabs of color. There’s this lovely tension between the solidity of the trees and the fluidity of the paint. And that little figure walking on the path - the blue is almost exactly the same tone as the blue in the sky - she’s really part of the environment. Čordák reminds me a bit of the Macchiaioli, those Italian painters who were all about capturing light and atmosphere. But Čordák has this kind of brooding, almost melancholic feel. It’s not about perfection, it’s about the messy, beautiful process of seeing.