A Winter Evening 1905

Julius Sergius Klever made this winter scene with oils, layering soft greys, blues, browns and whites in a way that feels both comforting and stark. Imagine Klever standing in the cold, trying to capture that particular moment when the light hits the snow just so. I see him dabbing at the canvas, mixing those earthy tones to get the birch trees just right. He probably felt the cold seeping into his bones, but he kept going. He wants to show us how the light catches those little snow-covered houses in the distance, nestled in the woods. The paint has this beautiful texture, thick in some places, thin in others, which really gives you a sense of the cold air and crispness. You know, I think Klever was really trying to show us something about how the world feels, not just how it looks. It makes me think about other painters like Courbet who were also wrestling with how to capture the realness of everyday life. Painters – we’re always in conversation with each other, trying to figure out how to make sense of this crazy world through paint.