Beboste kust van een meer 1845 - 1925

Editor: Right, so here we have Julius Jacobus van de Sande Bakhuyzen’s “Beboste kust van een meer”, or “Wooded coast of a lake” painted sometime between 1845 and 1925 in watercolor. I’m really struck by how serene and quiet it feels. All soft edges and muted colors. What do you see in it? Curator: It whispers, doesn’t it? A fleeting impression. For me, it’s the water itself. The artist captured that sense of reflection, a mirroring of the world above, but also a mystery. You know, when you look into water, you never quite see all the way through. And it’s not quite realism, and it isn't fully impressionistic, either, hovering between worlds as the brushstrokes dissolve forms into emotions. What do *you* feel it whispers? Editor: That’s lovely – hovering between worlds! I suppose, it suggests a memory – something fading around the edges, but still potent. Like a landscape seen through the haze of recollection. But… is that all just my projection? Curator: Art is always a conversation. What the artist puts in, and what we bring to it. So, it’s not just *your* projection; it's an act of completion. Now, imagine standing on that shore. Can you feel the dampness of the air? Sense the solitude? These atmospheric qualities of the watercolor place me inside of the image, and give the artist’s chosen style more intention. Don't you think so? Editor: Absolutely, the painting puts you there, within its mists and muted tones. This feels like I’m learning a new language to describe the spaces within these artworks! Thanks. Curator: My pleasure. The language of looking is one we all share. Keep speaking it.