View of Sommerspiret, the Cliffs of Møn 1846

Georg Emil Libert’s painting shows us Sommerspiret, the Cliffs of Møn, which he captured using oil on canvas. The artist’s work, though seemingly traditional, prompts us to reflect on the relationship between landscape and labour. Oil paint, traditionally made, requires grinding pigments and mixing them with oil. But consider also the labor involved in the scene before us. The cliffs are not just a pretty view; they represent geological processes occurring over vast stretches of time, a kind of planetary labor. In contrast, the human figures seem small, almost insignificant. Libert highlights the sheer scale and power of nature compared to human activity. He creates a dialogue between the traditional art materials he employs, the manual labor required to produce paint, and the immense, indifferent labor of the natural world. The result compels us to think about our place within a much larger picture.