Aftenlandskab 1894

Otto Haslund painted this landscape with oil on canvas. Born in Copenhagen, Haslund grew up in a merchant family. Here we see a quiet scene, a rural landscape. It is a place of work, fields and simple buildings under an expansive sky. There is a feeling of melancholic beauty in this painting. During the late 19th century, Denmark underwent significant social changes, with many artists turning away from urban life to find authenticity in rural settings. These artists celebrated the Danish landscape as a source of national identity and cultural pride. In their representation of rural life, there was a tendency to gloss over the hardships faced by agricultural workers, and a desire to affirm traditional values. With this in mind, consider Haslund’s choice to depict this scene from the perspective of someone on the land, embedded in the landscape. It invites us to connect with the land and perhaps reflect on our own place within the environment.