Balchik Hills 

Curator: The light in this painting is just remarkable! Editor: It truly is. The overall effect is calming, almost dreamlike. All of those pastel hues seem to be whispering. Curator: This is "Balchik Hills" by Sever Burada, created with oil paint in a plein-air style, giving it a lovely directness. While not specifically dated, its impressionistic qualities allow for easy comparisons with late 19th and early 20th-century works. It very much puts me in mind of seaside communities becoming vacation destinations at the time and the art connected to them. Editor: Looking at it now, the imagery of coastal settlements evokes a sense of refuge and simple living. That town nestled in the hills feels very inviting, even archetypal, almost a "return to the source" narrative expressed through landscape. The water especially appears like a source of renewal, reflecting the sky. Curator: That association is interesting, considering the popularity of seaside resorts among the early 20th-century European middle class, the symbolism perhaps mirroring their aspirations of health and vitality away from industrial centers. The brushstrokes are quite visible too, adding to the sense of immediacy, that the painting was likely composed on site. Editor: Yes, those impasto textures give an almost tangible feel to the landscape. I find it interesting how the upward sweep of the hills against the more level plane of the sea provokes a particular psychological response. Curator: That direct relationship between the organic hill against that almost abstract notion of "sea" adds a compelling dynamism to the landscape, in a way, almost posing these contrasting modes of perception and existence against one another. Editor: Certainly, it's as though the painting is hinting at the deeper connections we seek in our environment. I hadn't considered all the implications, now having studied the visual symbolism. Thanks for pointing that out. Curator: Likewise, your sensitivity to those elements provided such interesting angles to consider here.