Girls at the birch tree and flock of sheep in the background 1903

Paula Modersohn-Becker made this painting of girls at the birch tree with a flock of sheep in the background, and I love the earthiness of her palette, those muted greens and browns. It's all about the feel of the land, isn’t it? You can tell artmaking is a process when you see how each stroke builds on the last. The texture here is palpable, like you could reach out and feel the bark of that birch tree. The paint seems thin in places, almost transparent, and then thick and opaque, especially in the girl’s dress. Look at the way she’s captured the light on that tree trunk, how it almost glows against the darker greens of the field. There is one mark which always catches my eye: the small yellow flower she holds. It’s a tiny detail, but it brings so much to the piece. Modersohn-Becker reminds me a little of Van Gogh, in her intensity and her focus on the everyday. Art is a conversation, a dialogue across time and space.