Gathering Thunderstorm, Gilleleje 1951

Peter Rostrup Bøyesen made this landscape painting, ‘Gathering Thunderstorm, Gilleleje’, with oil on canvas. The rough handling of the paint is notable; Bøyesen has applied it wet-on-wet with a fully loaded brush, meaning that the strokes are thick and textural, and not blended. The result is a vigorous image, charged with its own internal energy, mirroring that of the storm. The visible brushwork reminds us that painting is fundamentally a physical process, involving not only the application of skill, but also brute labor. The composition might be described as ‘alla prima’, a direct, immediate approach. This places it in stark contrast to the traditional methods of art academies, which prioritize slow, controlled, and idealized representation. Instead, Bøyesen chose to honor the expressive potential of his materials. Ultimately, this painting asks us to reconsider the usual hierarchies between concept and execution, and to appreciate the making of an artwork as an important part of its meaning.