White Beeches in Fall 1910

Editor: Here we have Christian Rohlfs’s “White Beeches in Fall,” created around 1910 using oil paint. What strikes me most is how thick and textural the paint is. What is your take on this artwork? Curator: It's crucial to recognize that Rohlfs was working in a period profoundly impacted by industrialization. The thick application of paint – the materiality itself – becomes a vital element. This isn’t merely representation; it’s about labor. Do you see how the artist is actively engaged with the physical properties of the oil paint, almost like a craftsman working with raw materials? Editor: Yes, the paint seems almost sculptural! I never considered the “craft” aspect of it, especially when we're usually so focused on the artist's vision. Curator: Precisely. Consider also the concept of “plein-air” painting. This work embraces capturing a fleeting moment in nature. How do we reconcile this with the very physical and time-consuming process of applying paint so deliberately? Is Rohlfs reflecting on his own labor, almost in a critique of the ease and alienation associated with mass production? Editor: That’s a completely new perspective. So, instead of just seeing a landscape, we are supposed to reflect on how the materials were handled and what it says about labor during that time? Curator: Absolutely. It prompts questions about artistic production itself: who has access to materials? What social conditions enable such work? This emphasis on the making challenges a solely aesthetic interpretation. Editor: This definitely gives me a richer understanding. I will look at materiality differently from now on. Thanks. Curator: A landscape representing much more than itself. Thank you for noticing, and allowing me to examine the painting in the expanded materialist context of labor, value, and use.