Johan Christian Dahl and his Emotional Landscapes

Johan Christain Dahl was a Norwegian artist, who is known for his landscape paintings. Dahl painted his landscapes during the period known as the “Golden Age” of Norwegian art, and is considered the father of Norwegian landscape painting. Although Dahl is Norwegian, he spent most of his time studying and his career in Germany. His career focused mostly on landscape paintings, and usually were of nature. Dahl was intrigued by nature, and it evoked a lot of emotion in himself. As we can see in this curation, Dahl’s collection seems to feature a lot of darker colored paintings. These paintings involve darker landscapes, some of them painted with a scene that takes place at night. Along with this, Johan Christian Dahl strategically places figures in his nature landscape paintings, in order to help guide the viewer. This gives the painting a sense of scale, but it also mainly gives the viewer a way to relate to the painting. The addition of the figures points the viewer to take on those bodies, and to view the surrounding nature from their perspective. This leads us to our question–How does Johan Christian Dahl evoke emotion in the viewer? I would argue that Dahl evokes emotion in his viewers in the types of colors that he chooses, the contrast of those colors, and the implementation of the figures to invite the viewers into the paintings. Let’s look at the curation to find out how this practically shows up in each of the paintings!

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)

Classification: Paintings

This painting features a wilderness scenery, that is overlooking a waterfall at the edge of a mountain. There are two figures close to the viewer on the left. These two figures are on rocks, appearing to be gazing at the sun that is setting. Although the majority of this painting is on the darker scale, the artist is wanting us to pay more attention to the brighter parts of the painting, as we are to be the men standing on the left that are looking out at the sunset and the waterfall in the distance.

Title: Mother and Child by the Sea

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

Date: 1830

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 6 1/4 x 8 1/8 in. (15.9 x 20.6 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2007.164.2

This painting is one that is especially dark, and features a beach scenery that is rocky and has a giant anchor in the sand. In the distance, you can see the dark sky, the moon, and a ship that appears to be sailing towards the figures that are on the land. This scene evokes emotion as we are placed in the minds and bodies of the mother and child that are waiting in anticipation for this ship to come closer. This hope is almost resembled in the moon and its light that is slowly peeking out of the cloud.

Title: An Eruption of Vesuvius

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

Date: 1824

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 37 x 54 3/4 in. (94 x 139.1 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2019.167.1

Dahl’s painting here is of an eruption of a volcano, and is like the first artwork we looked at in the sense that there are clear contrasting values in this painting. The foreground takes up the majority of the painting, and features dark colors with smoke and lava. This is contrasted with a light sky background, that you can see on the upper right corner. Again, we see the presence of multiple figures in this painting. These figures are near the volcano, and two appear to be watching and almost studying the volcano. As the pattern follows, Dahl is inviting us to be one of those characters that are watching and studying the explosion, evoking emotion of curiosity and discovery.

Title: Copenhagen Harbor by Moonlight

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

Date: 1846

Medium: Oil on canvas

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

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2019.167.2

Dahl again is showing his favoritism towards night landscapes. This painting is of a shipyard in Copenhagen. This painting also has the presence of figures, which are in the foreground. These figures appear to be workers in this shipyard, and gives the sense of the "hustle and bustle” of the setting. At the same time, the moonlight is beaming down, giving light to the landscape. This contrast illuminates the workers, and can give a sense of hope in the midst of the darkness.

Title: Moonlit View of the River Elbe at Dresden

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

Date: 1826

Medium: Oil on paper, laid down on wood

Dimensions: 7 5/8 × 8 1/4 in. (19.4 × 21 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2016.802.9

In this painting, Dahl has painted yet another landscape that features a night aspect. This painting is of a river located in Germany, specifically in Dresden. As we can see in the painting, there is a figure in the middle of the bottom of the painting. In this particular painting, Dahl adds what appears to be a dog-like figure that is accompanying the figure. We are invited to embody the figure in this painting, who is out on a walk late at night, and who is admiring the moon and the scenery that is lit up by the moon. Depending on the circumstances that you bring into viewing this artwork, your emotions can vary when you place yourself into this figure’s body.

Title: View over Hallingdal

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

Date: 1844

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 9 1/2 x 14 3/8 in. (24.1 x 36.5 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Object Number: 2012.447

Lastly, we look at a painting that Dahl has made of his country of origin–Norway. This landscape painting appears to be viewed from on top of a mountain. It has some similarities to the artwork we started this curation with, where there is a mountain-top view and a wilderness feature. But this one has a figure on the right side of the painting, and is hard to make out. It appears to be a person riding a horse. As we relate to this rider, we can find some peace and serenity in the atmosphere and the view while riding along.