The Holy Communion Celebrated in Stange Church 1903

Harriet Backer made this painting of a church interior with what looks like brushes full of light greys, pale greens, and dark blacks. I can imagine her standing in the very spot we're seeing, trying to capture not just the appearance, but the quiet essence of the space. Look how Backer captures the light filtering through the windows. It’s not just illumination, but it’s almost as if the light itself is a character in the scene, soft and muted. It gently touches the faces of the figures and the stone walls. You can see Backer's attention to texture, the rough, uneven surfaces of the walls rendered with short, choppy brushstrokes. Imagine her mixing those greys, trying to match the cool, solemn atmosphere of the church, thinking about all the other painters who have tried to evoke the numinous, people like Hammershoi perhaps. This is more than just a painting, it’s an invitation to ponder the different ways we see, feel, and experience the world. We're all in conversation, each stroke echoing through time.