Berg bij Sibasa, Zuid-Afrika 1967

Willem Jacob van den Berg, possibly working en plein air, has captured a South African mountain near Sibasa in this modest-sized painting. Looking at this, I feel the hand of the painter reaching to capture light, atmosphere, and the presence of the landscape itself. Van den Berg's touch feels intuitive, doesn't it? It feels like he’s trying to pin down his emotional response to being there, in that moment. The mountain looms large, its densely forested slopes rendered in deep greens and purples, suggesting a cool, shady depth. Above, the sky opens up, with clouds that feel so fleeting, so changeable. You can imagine the artist, squinting in the sunlight, trying to capture it all before the light shifts again. Thinking about artists who work outdoors, I remember how much they have to be at the mercy of the elements, the weather. It’s all part of the conversation, isn’t it? Painting is about seeing, but it’s also about feeling, remembering, and responding.