Rowan Tree 1908

Pekka Halonen painted this Rowan Tree with oils, and well, I'm not sure when, but there’s a date in the corner: 1908. Look at the colour of that path, creamy yellows, mixed with greens and tans. I love how he has rendered the grass so vividly, it's like a tapestry, a sea of green and yellow threads. The way the brushstrokes are visible, you can almost feel the texture of the grass beneath your feet. Halonen’s choice of colour is interesting; the striking red of the berries against the muted greens. It’s like he’s captured a fleeting moment, the last gasp of summer before autumn. There is real depth in the layers, the composition is lovely. The blue of the lake offers a cool contrast to the warmth of the foreground. Halonen was obviously influenced by impressionism, but his work has a distinctly Nordic sensibility, that reminds me of Hammershoi's muted tones and intimate interiors, but here we are outside. It’s like they're having a conversation across time, each adding their own voice to the ongoing story of art.