Gule Elv, i Trondheims Stift 1763 - 1809

Editor: Here we have Elias Meyer's "Gule Elv, i Trondheims Stift," a watercolor and engraving from sometime between 1763 and 1809. There’s a dreamlike quality to the soft washes of color, but also a real sense of depth in the landscape. What draws you to this piece? Curator: It whispers of a bygone era, doesn’t it? The gentle curve of the river, the figures almost swallowed by the landscape... it feels like a half-remembered dream, a fragment of a story. It’s interesting to consider this within the Romanticism movement – they were all about finding the sublime in nature, weren't they? Though, I must admit, that the sublime here feels quite domestic, don’t you think? Like a very well-behaved sublime. Editor: I can see that, it's definitely not epic! So, it's almost like Romanticism... but tamed? What do you think the artist wanted to capture? Curator: Perhaps less the untamed power of nature and more the harmony between people and their surroundings. Notice the small figures. Are they conquering the landscape or simply passing through? Is that a feeling of wistful quiet? Meyer seems more interested in observation than grand statements. Or perhaps I'm simply projecting my own quiet longing onto the scene. It’s so easy to find our own narrative reflected back to us! Editor: It's amazing how much emotion you can find in such a simple scene. I originally just saw a pretty picture, but now I’m seeing the layers. Curator: Precisely! It's less about *seeing*, and more about *feeling* our way through the art. Editor: Well, I will never look at another landscape painting the same way. Curator: Good, then the art has done its job. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I suddenly feel an inexplicable need to find a gently flowing river.