Nordic Landscapes

 

Nordic Landscape: Sublime qualities of nature through different artistic elements within Norweign based on the region depicted:

Throughout time, the Norwegian landscapes have shown a lot of similarities but also some subtle differences. In this Exhibition, all of these pieces of art depict Norwegian landscapes. The way that the scenery is depicted is the same in the sense of how vast the natural landscapes are in the paintings. However, the different artists use contrast and colors to depict different things in their paintings. This exhibition includes a variety of other mediums, such as paintings, drawings, and wood, but all depict Nordic landscapes. The first few paintings showcase the Nordic landscape using darker colors and shadows, emphasizing the sublime qualities of nature and using small aspects of light, such as moonlight in the sky, to centralize the viewpoint of the painting. However, the latter works of art use lighter colors and more harmonious shades of light and texture to emphasize nature differently. But make nature the main focus of the work of art with no people or buildings depicted as the viewer focuses only on scenery. Though these paintings use different elements in their pieces of art, they all produce a sense of peace and connection to nature and use scale to evoke the realization of the vastness of nature. And all the paintings make you feel as if you are in the center of the Nordic landscape in diffrent ways. Some of the paintings used people and buildings, and others created a focal point by arranging the composition of the landscape to make a defined focal point. Together, these pieces of art depict the sublime qualities of nature in Nordic landscapes using elements very similar to each other or creating nuanced differences. 

 Peder Balke (Norwegian, 1804-1887). The North Cape by Moonlight

Date: 1848.

Medium: Oil on canvas

The Met Museum 

This painting is also of a Norwegian landscape, and he uses the same naturalistic painting method as Friedrich. He uses light and shadow to emphasize the sublime of the landscape and cause an emotional response. The Vast sea and the towering cliffs and the way he produces light from the moonlight illumination create contrast between the water and the cliffs, which enhances the landscape and adds a dramatic and mysterious element to the painting. This painting places emphasis on the grandeur of this landscape. 

https://www.metmuseum.org/press/exhibitions/2017/peder-balke

Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, 1788–1857)

Title: Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight 

Date: 1846

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 37 3/4 x 60 5/8 in. (95.9 x 154 cm)

https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2019/sublime-northern-romantic-painting-christen-sveaas

This painting captures Copenhagen’s harbor under the moon. This painting is serene and evokes peace and rest. The light and shadows and the reflection in the water add depth and realism to the painting. The silhouettes of the buildings that are dark against the moonlit water and sky create contrast, so the details of the things in the water are emphasized. While this painting is pretty realistic looking, it also includes some Romanticism elements. Overall, this painting is captivating and very pretty. 

Title: Two Men Before a Waterfall at Sunset

Artist: Johan Christian Dahl (Norwegian, Bergen 1788–1857 Dresden)

Date: 1823

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 15 x 14 in. (38.1 x 35.6 cm)

Accession Number: 2019.167.3

In this naturalistic painting, Dahl uses space to emphasize the vast landscape while value creates a striking contrast. Meanwhile, the shape unifies the significant elements of the painting. Making the men so small compared to the landscape gives you a naturalistic view of how vast the nature around us is—making the trees very dark, almost black looking, with the sunset being bright orange and yellow colors, creating a lot of contrast between the two. He also does this with the waterfall. The rocks of the waterfall are dark, and the water is a light white and blue color, creating a contrast that draws your eyes to it.  Even though they are very different, the same circular shapes he uses for the rocks and the clouds unify them in the painting. Dahl used shapes to unify many of the major elements in the painting. This painting encapsulates a peaceful scenery and the sublime qualities of nature around us.

Caspar David Friedrich (German, 1774–1840)

Title: Two Men Contemplating the Moon 

Date: 1825–30

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 13 3/4 x 17 1/4 in. (34.9 x 43.8 cm)

https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/now-at-the-met/2019/sublime-northern-romantic-painting-christen-sveaas

This painting uses lighting and scale again to emphasize the expansive sky and trees. The figures with their back towards the viewers help us partake in their experience and have the same viewpoint. The moon takes center point in the painting, creating a small light over the entire scene, creating a sense of peace. The rocky terrain and the night sky also contribute to the mood of solitude and reflection. The warm colors of the grass and the darker colors of the people and the trees cause contrast between the different subjects in the painting. 

Thomas Fearnley (Norwegian, Frederikshald 1802–1842 Munich)

Title: Gudvangen

Date: 1839

Medium: Oil on paper, laid down on wood

Dimensions: 7 1/16 × 11 in. (18 × 28 cm)

Accession Number: 2020.84.2

In this painting, Fearnley creates a vastness of the Nordic landscape. The way he uses light and the contrast of the darker colors of the mountains and the lighter colors and shades of the water emphasizes those aspects of the scenery. Also, the immense detail in the architectural features of the mountains helps immerse the viewers in the landscape. He uses a scale with the mountains to create awe and majesty in the landscape and creates a naturalistic type of painting. The harmonious colors he uses in the painting contribute to the peaceful viewing of this scenery and create unity within the painting. This painting helps you to feel as if you are in the middle between the two higher peaks of the mountain in a perfect focal point to see everything. 

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/839044

Title: Coastal Landscape

Artist: Peder Balke (Norwegian, Helgøya, Nes 1804–1887 Oslo (Kristiania))

Date: 1860s

Medium: Oil on paper, laid down on cardboard

Dimensions: 9 7/16 × 7 1/2 in. (24 × 19 cm)

Accession Number: SL.18.2017.2.5

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/690368

This final painting is very rugged but also gives some aspect of peace. The waves and the cliffs look untamed. The lighting and colors used create a very moody and intense feeling. The sea is the central focus of this painting. This captures the robust nature of the sea with the crashing waves, and the way he uses the brush strokes and colors evokes movement and a sense of force in the water. This painting looks isolated and emphasizes the sublime of nature. There are a lot of textural details in the cliffs, and the sea creates realism and makes you feel like you are really there. The colors used are very subtle and not vibrant, creating a sense of harmony between the sea and the cliffs in the painting.