Baltic Herrings 1904

Magnus Enckell painted this oil on canvas still life, Baltic Herrings, in 1904. It's the kind of painting where you can really see the artist thinking through the motions of painting. Look how each herring is given just a few strokes, capturing light and form with incredible efficiency. The texture here is everything; Enckell layers the paint to give the fish a silvery, almost metallic sheen. The colours are muted, mostly whites and blues, but they create a sense of freshness, like these herrings were just pulled from the sea. Notice that one dark blue stroke that defines the curve of the fish's body, it's such a small thing, but it gives the whole painting a sense of movement. Enckell’s work feels very grounded in the everyday, reflecting the mood of turn-of-the-century art. You might think of other painters like Manet, who were finding beauty in the mundane. It is a reminder that art can be found anywhere, even in a basket of herrings.