Skovindre. Aften 1842 - 1905

Thorvald Niss created "Skovindre. Aften" with etching on paper, a landscape now residing at the SMK. Notice how the dark, enveloping shades of the forest create an atmosphere of quietude, perhaps even a sense of the sublime. The composition is divided into distinct horizontal layers: the detailed foreground with a fallen tree, the dense, shadowy treeline, and a glimpse of a lighter horizon. Niss's use of line is particularly striking; the fine, dense hatching brings a tactile quality to the scene, especially in the rough texture of the tree bark and the forest floor. This technique creates a visual tension between the defined foreground and the obscured background, inviting contemplation on the relationship between the known and the mysterious. It prompts us to consider the boundaries of perception and representation. The deliberate obscurity also emphasizes the materiality of the print itself, reminding us that we are engaging with a constructed image, not merely a reflection of nature.