Landskab med lyngklædte bakker 1848

Editor: So, here we have "Landscape with Heather-Covered Hills" by Carlo Dalgas, painted in 1848. It looks like a watercolor, perhaps mixed with something else...It's surprisingly muted; a dreamy sort of landscape. What do you see in it? Curator: Dreams are an interesting way of looking at it! It’s funny, when I look at a piece like this, I think about how much a painting *doesn’t* tell us. It makes me wonder about Dalgas wandering about the heath. What do you think he heard, what did he smell? I mean, it looks quiet but surely wasn’t silent. Maybe it was painted *en plein air,* with all the associated challenges...wind, insects... Editor: Right, it's easy to romanticize the artist's experience, isn't it? Did painting *en plein air* even exist at that time? What exactly do you make of the muted colors? Curator: You are spot on, my friend! *En plein air* painting was certainly gaining traction then and for me the restricted palette amplifies this feeling of open space, distance... and dare I say, a little melancholy? The heath itself is vast and maybe not particularly fertile...perhaps it’s a commentary on man's place in nature, that sort of thing. Editor: I hadn't considered that aspect, very interesting! So much is happening outside of the canvas. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure! And thank *you* for pointing out the painting's dream-like qualities, something that escaped me entirely. Always keep dreaming and looking, and good things are bound to happen!