Logging Road 1922

Jonas Lie made this painting, Logging Road, with oil on canvas. The cool palette and confident brushstrokes give the impression of a brisk winter’s day. Lie seems to really relish the physical process of applying paint to canvas. You can see how the textures of the snowy ground and the water are built up with layers of brushwork. Look at the surface of the water in the foreground. Lie uses thick, dark blues and teals to create a sense of depth and movement. Notice how the brushstrokes follow the direction of the current, adding a sense of fluidity to the scene. The opacity of the paint gives the water a dense, almost impenetrable quality. It is quite different to the rendering of the snow which feels altogether lighter. This work reminds me of Gustave Courbet, another painter who wasn’t afraid to get physical with his materials and who celebrated the beauty of the natural world. Both artists embrace ambiguity and allow for multiple interpretations of their work.