Fynsk landskab. Kornmark ved en skov 1916 - 1920

Curator: This watercolor, entitled "Fynsk landskab. Kornmark ved en skov" or "Funen Landscape. Cornfield by a forest", comes to us from Peter Hansen and was created between 1916 and 1920. Editor: Immediately, I’m struck by the fluidity. It's delicate and breezy, almost weightless in its application of washes. There's a subtle interplay of blues and greens that creates this evocative landscape, isn’t it? Curator: Indeed. Hansen was a key member of the Funen Painters, a group that championed plein-air painting, connecting directly with their local environment. Their emphasis on naturalism really broke from the academy. We can see their commitment to landscape and everyday rural scenes, making the Danish countryside central to their art and thus national identity. Editor: Look closely and you’ll see he doesn’t conceal the process. There’s no attempt to hide the brushstrokes or the way the watercolor pools. It reveals a confidence in the immediacy of the medium. Also the paper seems to be active too! You can tell, he's letting the material qualities sing. I am curious about that horizon. The dark and very thinned application is so suggestive… Curator: He’s definitely embracing the inherent qualities of watercolor. And in that horizon, you are sensing what this implied! What Hansen does here is interesting as it democratizes painting. It is an exercise of the artist leaving the formal structure behind in an approach similar to many self taught painters and/or outside artists who are equally embracing their techniques freely to serve their artistic process and/or vision. This made the established art circle scratch their head quite a bit…! Editor: Absolutely, I understand. Hansen pushes past a purely representational depiction towards something almost ephemeral. The lack of defined edges softens the scene to reflect the transient effects of the light on that cornfield in the Danish summer! This particular piece, especially given its medium, demonstrates a certain accessibility in Danish art during this period, connecting art and its consumption more intimately with daily life of those people. Curator: In its modest scale and humble subject matter, this landscape, now at the SMK, exemplifies a pivotal moment in Danish art history: when artists like Hansen turned away from grand historical narratives and found inspiration in the everyday. Editor: A moment suspended, caught beautifully in watercolor and paper: process, setting, light. That´s where Hansen's true skill is visible, a humble study and very moving statement, in my opinion.