Kysten ved Strandegårds Dyrehave 1916

This etching, Kysten ved Strandegårds Dyrehave, probably made with acid and a metal plate, captures a landscape with dense trees, a bit of fence, and water. I can imagine Axel Holm outside, with his materials, making a scene from life. Look at the density of the marks. It's amazing how an artist builds up an image from almost nothing into a coherent scene that really feels like a place. What was Holm thinking when he decided to put the horizon line so high? It really flattens the image. The whole thing has a kind of awkward beauty, a little bit like some of the landscapes by the early moderns. Artists are always building on the past, referencing what they see and feel, trying to make something new, but always in conversation with those who came before. We can see the exchange of ideas across time inspiring creativity. Painting embraces ambiguity, allowing for multiple interpretations.