Red Rocks by Åsgårdstrand 1904

Edvard Munch gave us this painting, Red Rocks by Åsgårdstrand, with oil on canvas, and it’s just bursting with energetic brushstrokes and a surprisingly cheerful palette! Munch wasn't trying to give us a photograph; he was interested in the feeling of a place, and you can see how the physicality of the paint helps him do that. The brushstrokes are visible, almost frantic, especially in the foreground. You can almost feel him wrestling with the canvas, trying to capture something elusive. Look at the way he's rendered those red rocks, they're not just red, but awash with pinks and purples, casting a strange light on the landscape. Then, a few dark brown marks suggesting something almost gothic. This reminds me a little of Emil Nolde's landscapes, the way he used expressive colour to convey a mood. Both artists were more interested in emotional truth than realistic representation. Ultimately, paintings like this remind us that art is a conversation, a way of seeing and feeling that evolves over time and through different artists.