En akademirådsforsamling på Charlottenborg i 1904 1906 - 1908

Viggo Johansen made this painting of an academy council meeting at Charlottenborg in 1904, and it's all about capturing a moment. The colors are muted, almost like a memory, and you can tell he's not trying to get every detail perfect, but rather the overall mood. Look at the way the light from the chandelier and candles flickers across the faces in the room. It's as if Johansen is saying that art is not about perfection, but about process, about how we see and feel things as they happen. The paint isn't overly thick, but there's a real sense of texture. You can imagine him using soft, wide brushes to create those hazy edges around the figures. There's a wonderful, almost Impressionistic quality here. The closest painter that comes to my mind would be someone like Whistler, who also played with atmosphere and suggestion. And, like all good art, it leaves you with questions rather than answers, inviting you to see the world in a new way.