Vinteraften ved Susåen 1838 - 1910

Editor: Here we have "Winter Evening by Susåen" painted by Frederik Vermehren sometime between 1838 and 1910. It’s rendered in watercolour. I’m struck by the almost melancholic stillness of the scene. What draws your eye? Curator: The setting sun casts a long shadow over the landscape, the orange reflecting on the cold water, invoking what the Danish call ‘hygge.’ But this landscape isn’t just a pretty picture, is it? Consider the horse-drawn carriage: what does that journey symbolize to you? What deeper stories could the symbol represent about that time, about social class, travel, isolation, or even death? Editor: Well, seeing the carriage alone makes me think about solitude, perhaps a long journey home in the face of the coming dark. Curator: Exactly! Note the light from the house further away along the winding Susåen river: there is civilization out there somewhere. That golden light could be seen as hope for the travelers, the warmth and sustenance of home promised on their journey. Editor: So, the painting becomes a story about journey and destination, solitude and belonging, painted in the light? Curator: Indeed. And those stories become the cultural memories of Vermehren’s time. Editor: I never thought of a landscape painting as containing so much narrative potential! Curator: All symbols communicate stories, and are connected by history, time, geography and emotions! We get to discover them.