Nordic landscape 1949

Constant Permeke made this landscape in oil paint, the date is unknown. Permeke works with a muted palette and visible brushstrokes, really emphasizing that artmaking is a process, a journey. Looking closely, you can see how Permeke layers paint to build up the rough textures of the landscape. The paint is thick, almost sculptural in places, giving a real sense of the physicality of the scene, there is one snaking dark mark that flows through the painting that is almost like a signature. It's not concealed at all. Permeke's landscapes, often focusing on the raw beauty of nature, remind me a little of Courbet, who was similarly interested in capturing the unvarnished truth of the world. Ultimately, this piece celebrates the beauty of ambiguity, inviting us to find our own meaning within its brushstrokes.