Aftenlandskab 1915

Peter Ilsted made this image of a landscape sometime between 1861 and 1933. With its warm sepia tones, it's like he's bottled the last light of the day. I imagine Ilsted, outside, somewhere quiet, maybe alone, letting the scene seep into his mind. Look at how he’s built up the layers, scratching and coaxing the image out of the plate. See how those dark trees stand against the lighter sky, they almost look like ink blots. What did he want to capture? Was it a fleeting moment, or a feeling that sticks with you? The path pulls you in, like a silent invitation to wander off and think, dream, or simply look at the view. I wonder if the artist was thinking about other landscape painters when he made this? There is so much back and forth in art, across time. Each artist responds to what came before.