Walhalla 2016

Anselm Kiefer made this painting, Walhalla, with oil paint and other materials. Look closely, the paint isn’t just brushed on; it’s built up, scraped away, and reworked, as if the act of painting is a process of excavation. There’s a real physicality to this piece. The texture is rough, almost geological, especially in the foreground where the surface looks cracked and aged. The palette is mostly muted browns and creams, but there's a gorgeous, deep blue that peeks through the dark towers, giving the painting an incredible depth. Notice the way the light hits the top of the central structure. It feels like a beacon, or a fading memory. Kiefer's work often deals with history and memory, and I can’t help but think of Gerhard Richter, another German artist grappling with similar themes, though with a very different approach. Ultimately, this painting isn’t about answers; it’s about the questions, and the way art can hold space for ambiguity.