Maaliskuu 

Editor: Pekka Halonen's "Maaliskuu," or "March," is a captivating plein-air oil painting that perfectly captures the quiet stillness of a winter landscape. There is a hushed stillness about this piece. What stories do you think this artwork is trying to tell? Curator: Oh, I adore the quiet you sensed! To me, this isn't just about visual representation; it's about *feeling* that transitional moment as winter begins to loosen its grip. Think of it: the muted palette, almost monochromatic, mirroring the landscape's slumber. It's impressionistic but treads into something deeper… maybe, even… longing. Does the painting make you consider that sense of expectation that hangs in the air as the first hints of green struggle to push through? Editor: I didn't immediately see longing. I was so caught up in the beautiful textures of the snow. You know, that almost-blue cast. It reminds me of some Impressionist techniques. Is that fair? Curator: Absolutely fair! Halonen was undoubtedly touched by Impressionism – the brushstrokes are all tiny whispered secrets aren't they? And that fleeting quality…almost as if the scene might melt away. It is about him trying to capture the fleeting moment that is hard to capture! Do you think, though, that perhaps he's less interested in the light itself than what the light *reveals* about the soul of the Finnish landscape, and his own relationship to it? Editor: That is a really beautiful point that you are raising! I need to dwell more on the 'soul' aspect, maybe the idea of national identity. Curator: It’s like Halonen wasn't just painting what he saw but trying to evoke the feeling of March, which is beautiful indeed. Editor: Absolutely. It is making me re-think everything I originally thought about this artwork, to its greater depth.