Sulmalla prøver forgæves at overtale sin elsker Cathmor til at slutte fred med Fingal 1810 - 1811

C.F. Høyer created this painting, Sulmalla Tries in Vain to Persuade her Lover Cathmor to Make Peace with Fingal, using oil on canvas. The figures are set against a dramatically lit landscape, a stormy sky dominating the upper portion, and the sea churning in the background. Sulmalla, dressed in soft greens and reds, is in motion, gesturing emphatically towards Cathmor, whose metallic armour reflects the light in sharp contrast to the earthy tones of his clothing and surroundings. The composition is structured by this interplay between movement and stasis. Sulmalla's active posture is offset by Cathmor's reclining pose. His spear and shield, rendered with smooth precision, appear as props which symbolize masculine resolve, against which Sulmalla’s emotional appeal seems to falter. Høyer uses light not just to illuminate, but to emphasize the oppositional structure of the painting – the tension between peace and conflict, persuasion and intransigence. Consider how the formal elements of color and line direct our understanding of the narrative, embedding it within a larger framework of human and philosophical contradictions.