Landskapsstudier 

Curator: A peaceful feeling comes over me as I gaze upon this unfinished watercolor landscape. The hazy sky and indistinct foreground invite contemplation. Editor: I see it differently. We’re looking at Knud Baade's "Landskapsstudier", currently housed at the National Gallery in Oslo. But rather than peace, I find it unsettling. The very emptiness in the foreground raises questions about land and belonging. Who can traverse it, and who is denied that access? Curator: The vagueness feels more inviting to me. Think of how landscape painting throughout history provided more than just a scenic vista, how it became a reflection of the inner emotional landscape. Baade uses watercolors in a way that enhances that quiet mood. Editor: And what emotions do you see reflected here, considering that land ownership and access to resources have historically been tied to power structures and colonial exploitation? This 'inner landscape' may reflect privilege or a romanticised distance from material realities. The sketch-like nature of the land feels exclusionary, suggesting the commoners or outsiders might only experience a conceptual terrain. Curator: The 'conceptual' is key. The work isn't photo-real; it's more about conveying a symbolic essence. The wateriness of the watercolor reminds us that nothing is static, and the very act of painting transforms place into idea. The very light that dissolves firm boundary lines opens the land for inward exploration, universal and accessible. Editor: I see what you mean, the technique reinforces that notion of mutability, of constant change and possibility. And to be fair, we don’t know if or when it was painted. Perhaps Baade’s work also reflects a specific social tension in a burgeoning nation-state. The lightness allows for layered narratives, inviting discussions beyond pure aesthetic enjoyment, raising questions of land rights, visibility, and societal power dynamics. Curator: Exactly. The emotional and conceptual blend beautifully. It demonstrates the power of landscape not as mere visual document, but as an echo of history, emotion, and, I think, endless potential for inward connection. Editor: I agree, its seeming incompleteness has ironically opened so many possible lines of thinking. There's such rich potential when art invites active engagement with the viewer's own assumptions and socio-historical understandings.