Ubekendt titel 1928 - 1938

This small watercolor on paper was made by Jakob Danielsen, and I love how he captured such a vast expanse with minimal means. The color palette is so restrained, mostly browns and blues, and yet it evokes the chilly atmosphere of the Arctic. Looking closely, you can see how the thin washes of color create subtle variations in the water and sky. It is possible to see how the water is made up of horizontal marks, creating a sense of flatness, yet also suggesting depth. The tiny figures in the boat are rendered with such simplicity, but they convey a sense of human presence within this immense landscape. It reminds me a little bit of some of the early landscapes of someone like Alex Katz, in its distilled vision. Ultimately, this small painting is such an ongoing conversation of ideas.