Florence, Viale dei Colli 1909

Pekka Halonen made this painting of Florence's Viale dei Colli, with what looks like pastel, working with a restricted palette to make something glow. It's all about soft hues and gentle marks. I am really drawn to the way Halonen uses these powdery colors to build the image. The road is a field of pale blues and lavenders, the buildings are hinted at with strokes of white and grey, and the trees are like soft columns of muted greens and browns. The texture feels almost like a memory, hazy and dreamlike, which softens the landscape. Look closely at the two figures on the right. They’re rendered with just a few strokes of darker pastel, as if they are part of the atmosphere itself. It reminds me of some of Vuillard’s paintings, where figures and landscapes blend together. It's a painting that doesn't shout but whispers, inviting you to lose yourself in its quiet beauty.