Summer Idyll 1931

Pekka Halonen made this painting, Summer Idyll, with what looks like oil on canvas and a brush, and it's full of light and air. I imagine he built it up layer by layer, starting with the cool blues of the water and the greens of the leaves. I really feel for him, as if he was chasing after the reflections in the water, the way the light flickers on the surface, trying to nail down something that’s always shifting. I see him stepping back, squinting, mixing up another batch of green. The way he renders the leaves is so evocative. I can almost feel the cool, still air of the water on my skin. That boat is lovely. It's a reminder that painting can be about capturing the fleeting moments, those perfect days that stick with you long after summer is over. It reminds me a little of other Nordic painters, their quiet scenes of domestic life and landscape. We all borrow from one another, even across time. I think this painting is an invitation to slow down, breathe deep, and appreciate the world.