Gartenlokal An Der Havel Unter Bäumen c. 1920 - 1922

Max Liebermann, made this painting of a lakeside beer garden, probably with oil paint. Look at the way the leaves are made with a single stroke of juicy green – it’s like the paint has barely been coaxed onto the canvas. Up close, it’s just a series of marks, but when you step back, they come together to create a picture of a bustling scene. There is a great understanding here of how to construct a scene with the bare minimum of descriptive information. I love the way he suggests the reflections on the water with these quick strokes of white and blue. The surface has an almost vibrating quality, and the painting becomes a record of the artist's looking, thinking, and feeling. Liebermann reminds me of Monet in his interest in capturing the fleeting qualities of light and atmosphere, but his touch feels rougher somehow, maybe more human. Art is always a dialogue; the conversation continues.