Erling 1920

Christian Rohlfs made ‘Erling’ with what looks like watercolour and chalk, and it’s all about how the landscape pushes back. Look at the tower, how it’s fighting to come forward, but the blues and browns are having none of it. It’s like a tug-of-war with the earth. The paint is thin, almost like a stain, except when he goes in with those decisive chalky lines. The dark strokes around the roofs, they aren't just outlines, they're like the landscape is breathing, or maybe even swallowing the village whole. It reminds me a bit of Emil Nolde, the way he used colour to create this intense, almost spiritual feeling. But Rohlfs has a rawness, an unfinished quality. It’s not about pretty views, it's about the raw energy of seeing.