Tombeau Imaginaire 1 2019

Elina Brotherus made this photograph, "Tombeau Imaginaire 1," without providing a date. Looking at the scene, it feels like a moment captured rather than constructed. There's a quietness to the palette: muted greens and grays, the softness of the sky. It reminds me that artmaking is often about a process of revealing what’s already there. The texture in this photograph is something else. The rough bark of the trees against the smoothness of the sky, the figure in the distance. I keep coming back to that figure, perched on the rock. The dark colour of the clothing almost absorbs light, making the person appear as a silhouette. It brings a weight, a gravity, to the scene. Brotherus's work reminds me a bit of the landscapes of Caspar David Friedrich, where figures are often dwarfed by their surroundings, contemplating nature's vastness. Both artists tap into that sense of awe and introspection. It's a testament to art's ability to hold multiple feelings.