Cliffs at Røsnæs. Evening 1908

Niels Larsen Stevns made this painting of the cliffs at Røsnæs probably outside, in front of the subject, with brushes and oil paint. Look at those strokes of green, yellow, and brown—they’re so physical, like the artist was wrestling with the landscape itself. You can imagine Stevns standing there, squinting in the evening light, trying to capture the weight and mass of the cliffs. The paint is luscious and thick, so that you can really feel the texture of the land. And then, that stroke of pure yellow on the horizon—it’s like a moment of revelation, a burst of light cutting through the gathering dusk. It reminds me of Constable, or even Courbet—artists who knew how to make paint sing. These artists keep the conversation going. Painting is like that, right? It's an ongoing exchange across time, inspiring one another’s creativity.