Gezicht op Bern 1959

Max von Mühlenen made this artwork, ‘Gezicht op Bern’, with graphite on paper. The artist has taken such care here, applying countless delicate marks. You can feel the careful observation of the world around him. I wonder what the artist was thinking as he drew each branch, each building? Did he allow himself to get lost in the details, or was he more interested in capturing the overall atmosphere of the scene? He must have stood on a hill opposite the city, taking in the buildings and the landscape beyond. I can imagine the feeling of the air on his skin, the sounds of the city, the birds overhead. The trees in the foreground feel like a screen, drawing us into the scene. And the mountains in the distance, a reminder of the wider world beyond. There’s a real stillness to the piece, a sense of quiet contemplation. It reminds me that art is just a way of seeing, of understanding, of connecting.