Kersttijd 1900 Possibly 1900 - 1923

Hendrik Jan Carel Linse made this artwork called Kersttijd 1900 using a monochrome palette, all muted and hazy. It looks like it has emerged through labor, like an intuitive process of layering and shifting. I wonder what it must have been like to make this? What was Linse thinking? Maybe he was interested in the texture of despair, or perhaps how the surface itself could communicate feeling. The inky areas really shape our experience of the scene. Notice how Linse uses shading to depict depth and shadow, and how each mark tells a different story. It's clear Linse had an expressive way of working. You see, artists are always in conversation. They exchange ideas across time, and inspire each other's creativity. What I love about painting is its ability to embrace uncertainty, allowing for all kinds of readings.