Interior from Uvdal Stave Church 1909

Harriet Backer seems to have made this painting, 'Interior from Uvdal Stave Church,' with oil on canvas. I love the way Backer builds up this space with color, from those cool blues of the column to the red and greens that vibrate around the room. I can imagine her standing here, working en plein air, trying to capture the light as it filters through the windows. The space is composed in a way that I see what she sees; the column as a dominating foreground object, and the people seated in the pews, who are mere compositional suggestions. It’s a tricky thing, painting interiors. You’re dealing with so much detail, so many edges and corners. I'm interested in the way she makes these choices, what to include and what to leave out. I imagine her squinting, trying to simplify the scene before her, looking for the essential shapes and colors. Painters are always in conversation with each other, looking at the past and present, and learning from one another. Painting lets us see the world in new ways, to find meaning in the everyday, and I feel this when looking at Backer's work.