Atlanterhavet 1860

Amaldus Nielsen’s "Atlanterhavet" is an oil painting, likely made en plein air – that is, in the open air. It's easy to overlook this work. But consider what’s involved in simply making an image: the grinding of pigments, the preparation of the canvas, and the sheer physical act of standing at the shore, transcribing what one sees. There’s a definite relationship here between labor and the subject matter, because the ocean after all is a site of work. The distant boats speak to the shipping industry, and of course fishing. Even the quick, sketch-like quality of the painting reflects a working process. We might consider this painting as a visual document of human interaction with the sea. And that act of witness, of spending time and energy making something, can be a way of understanding the world around us, and our place in it. It helps to break down distinctions between "fine art" and other forms of making.