Havn i en lille købstad 1901

Albert Gottschalk made this oil painting, "Havn i en lille købstad," using fairly muted tones and loose brushwork, probably en plein air. You can feel the breeze! I can imagine Gottschalk grabbing his brushes and board, trying to capture the scene as fast as possible, before the light changes. The painting has an unfinished quality, which makes it feel immediate, like we're looking over the artist's shoulder as he works. Check out the choppy strokes defining the boats, and how the buildings are simplified into basic shapes. It reminds me of Corot, or maybe Whistler, those artists always looking for mood and atmosphere. I wonder what it was like for Gottschalk, standing there, trying to distill the essence of this harbor town, the movement, and stillness all at once. Artists are always responding to each other, across time, and space, in this incredible visual conversation that keeps evolving.