Windmill 1929

Emil Carlsen’s ‘Windmill’ is a painting of subtle, muted tones, mostly creams and browns. I can almost imagine Carlsen outside, squinting in the sunlight. It seems like he’s interested in capturing not just the scene but the hazy atmosphere. The paint is applied in soft, almost blurry strokes, which makes me think about the challenges of painting outdoors, trying to capture something fleeting. It must have been hard to keep the colours clean and fresh. I bet Carlsen mixed his paints right on the canvas. There's a looseness to the brushwork, especially in the windmill's blades, which suggests movement and the passage of time. I feel like I'm in the Dutch countryside, smelling the wheat, feeling the breeze. It reminds me of other landscape painters like Whistler, but with a more grounded, earthy feel. Painters have always looked to each other, borrowing and riffing on ideas, which is great! Because painting is an open invitation, a dialogue that goes on and on.