Old Trees
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…










