Dawn 1990

Odd Nerdrum, painted ‘Dawn’ with oils, and I can imagine him out there in the landscape, squinting in the morning light. That ochre ground is so tactile. It's as if Nerdrum built it up layer by layer, the texture pulling you in. You can almost feel the sun-baked earth beneath your fingers. The figures are pale and luminous, their bodies stretched out in unison against the dark landscape, they are looking to the sky, hopeful of a new day. I wonder what they're thinking? Are they meditating, or simply basking in the moment? The brushwork here is pretty smooth, which gives the painting an almost dreamlike quality. It reminds me of other Nordic painters who use light and shadow to create mood. And that muted palette of earth tones and faded blues—it's a quiet conversation with the Old Masters, but with a contemporary twist. Artists are always talking to each other, across time, across styles, across the world.