Både på stranden. Skagen 1855 - 1913

Editor: This is "Boats on the Beach, Skagen," dating roughly between 1855 and 1913, by Wilhelm Xylander, currently residing at the SMK in Copenhagen. Painted with oil on, likely, canvas, it immediately evokes a sense of quiet stillness. What do you see when you look at it? Curator: Well, aside from a yearning for a bracing sea breeze and the tang of salt in the air, I see a kind of beautiful resignation. Xylander captures that moment between labor and rest, between the promise of the sea and the grounded reality of these boats. The light, that hazy, diffused Scandinavian light, almost mutes the colors, doesn't it? It’s like a whisper of a painting. Almost makes you want to sigh. Don't you think? Editor: It does. It's interesting how he’s captured the wear and tear on the boats – they look so authentic, used, and heavy. How does that fit within a landscape piece? Curator: That’s it, precisely! It transcends pure landscape; it’s a character study, in a way. The boats aren't just props; they are individual vessels with their own stories etched into their timbers. I find myself wondering about the lives connected to them – the fishermen, their families, the community… Isn't it interesting how one element of the artwork can inspire one to create whole backstories? Editor: Absolutely, I agree! Looking at those boats, and especially at that heavy anchor lying on the beach, I start creating the mariners' whole lives and journeys in my head, and they all turn out differently! Curator: Yes, it's not just depicting a scene, but inviting us to imagine, to remember our own experiences with the sea. Perhaps even those wistful moments watching the tide come in. Wonderful. Editor: Indeed. Thank you for offering me the opportunity to understand it better and create some tales inspired by this. Curator: My pleasure! Now go and make some waves of your own.