Spring Evening, Akershus Fortress 1913

Harald Sohlberg made this painting of Akershus Fortress, and it's all about how he carefully lays down color. The colors in this painting, especially that intense orange sky, feel thick, almost velvety. It's not just about what he's painting, but how he's doing it – the way the colors are layered, one on top of the other, creates this dreamy, almost unreal effect. If you look closely at the branches of the big tree on the left, you can almost feel the artist's hand as he painstakingly painted each one. It's like the tree itself is breathing, reaching out. That dark mass of the tree contrasts with the sky, it's like the tree is holding the world together. The whole piece is about stillness, about catching a moment that’s both ordinary and completely magical. Maybe he was looking at Munch, maybe he was looking at something else entirely. It’s a reminder that art is always in conversation, always evolving.