Castel dell'Ovo in Naples 1839 - 1840

Editor: So here we have Christen Købke's "Castel dell'Ovo in Naples," painted around 1839-1840. It's oil on… paper, mounted on canvas. There's something so still and weighty about it. It almost feels like a memory fading in the sun. What do you see in it? Curator: Ah, yes, Købke. For me, it's about that Romanic light, the ochres and ambers that wash over everything. Do you notice how the castle almost seems to emerge organically from the rock? It's less about topographical accuracy, and more about a feeling. Editor: Definitely. There’s a dreamy quality to the way the colors blend, it almost looks sepia-toned. It also brings out the rough textures of the old architecture really nicely! It's really calming... What's that about? Curator: It does lull you into tranquility, doesn’t it? I think it’s because Købke uses plein-air techniques to make the sky so atmospheric and that grounds the monument, the monument that is so heavy in and of itself… but also it comes down to nostalgia. Naples for Købke was, maybe, a kind of escape, so maybe we also feel invited into that private sense of serenity. Does that ring true for you? Editor: It does, actually! That makes me wonder, does this fit with the artistic tendencies and values of the time? Was there anything new or subversive about that, in a way? Curator: Good question! Absolutely! The Romantics prized emotional experience above all else. But I do think he's doing his own thing too. The almost photographic realism, combined with the golden light, has an appeal to a direct and somewhat subjective emotion! Editor: Wow, I definitely see it now. It’s more than just a landscape painting. There’s an emotion being captured as well. Curator: Exactly. And now you feel part of it!