Hovenkilen ved Mandal 1912

Amaldus Nielsen made this small painting, Hovenkilen ved Mandal, of a still lake and house scene with oil on canvas. It’s as if he was trying to catch a glimpse of the scene as it disappears. I imagine him standing there, outside, a little cold perhaps, squinting and trying to see what was in front of him. The colors are fairly muted, the brushstrokes quick, and the canvas is small and intimate. I can feel the softness of the brush in the water and the house's reflection. I love the purple heather in the foreground, it is so delicate. Nielsen was part of a generation of landscape painters interested in the Realist tradition. I can see the influence of Courbet and Corot, yet Nielsen's style is all his own. Each generation of artists takes something from the last, adds their own experiences, and starts a new conversation. It's really a quiet, sweet picture. I can hear the birds chirping in the background.