Old Trees
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.In this desolate scene, trees and mountains seem to part ways to admit crepuscular winter light. Like his contemporaries, Balke was drawn to untamed landscapes that were characteristically Norwegian.
In this composition and others, Balke deliberately left loosely brushed brown paint—essentially a mid-tone base coat—visible in the lower register, scuttling conventions of finish observed by most painters. This prioritization of painterly effects over verisimilitude did not always find favor with the art establishment: in 1843, a Norwegian critic wrote, “His whole production is merely the mark of a dirty palette handled without discrimination.”
In this composition and others, Balke deliberately left loosely brushed brown paint—essentially a mid-tone base coat—visible in the lower register, scuttling conventions of finish observed by most painters. This prioritization of painterly effects over verisimilitude did not always find favor with the art establishment: in 1843, a Norwegian critic wrote, “His whole production is merely the mark of a dirty palette handled without discrimination.”
Artwork Details
- Title: Old Trees
- Artist: Peder Balke (Norwegian, Helgøya, Nes 1804–1887 Oslo (Kristiania))
- Date: late 1840s
- Medium: Oil on paper, mounted on cardboard
- Dimensions: 5 1/2 × 7 3/16 in. (14 × 18.2 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Asbjorn Lunde
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings