Forest Sunset 1912

Julius Sergius Klever made this forest scene in oil paint, and it’s all about mood and light. The way he handles the paint is so interesting. It's not about precision. Instead, he’s capturing a feeling, right? Look at how the light filters through the trees. He’s used thin glazes of paint to build up a sense of depth, but there’s also this incredible texture, especially in the foreground. See those strokes of thick, impasto paint that define the mossy ground and tangled roots? Each dab feels like a little decision, a response to what’s already there, almost like a conversation. I can see echos of the Hudson River School in the way he’s trying to capture the sublime beauty of nature. For me, the joy of painting, and maybe the joy of looking, is in seeing how an artist wrestles with their materials, finding new ways to see and feel the world.