Besøg Hos Bedstemor 1914

Hans Andersen Brendekilde painted a scene in oil on canvas of a visit to grandma, but when? The whole scene is imbued with a soft, dreamy light, like an impressionist haze, but the details of the figures and the buildings, and the chickens, are rendered with a realist’s precision. You can almost feel the sun on your face as you stand in the yard with the grandmother and the little girl. The painting style shows a deep understanding of light and shadow. I wonder if Brendekilde was thinking about how to capture the fleeting moments of everyday life, the way the light hits the white walls of the house, or the way the chickens scratch in the dirt. It reminds me of other painters of the time, who were also interested in depicting scenes of rural life, like Peder Krøyer. Artists are always in conversation with each other, and with the world around them, drawing inspiration from what they see and experience.