Lake Bagsværd 1941

Niels Larsen Stevns made this painting of Lake Bagsværd with visible brushstrokes, like he's scooping up the landscape. The colors are pretty muted, all milky blues, pale pinks, and greens, with some lavender thrown in there too. I can imagine Stevns, out there by the lake with his easel, trying to capture the light shimmering on the water. He must have been trying to nail that particular moment when the clouds are doing that crazy dance thing. It’s not about getting every detail right, but more about catching the overall vibe, right? The paint looks like it’s layered on thick, especially in the sky. And these strokes – they’re not trying to hide, each one is like a little mark of the artist's hand. I see echoes of other painters in this, like the Impressionists. Artists are always in conversation with each other, riffing off ideas, and pushing things forward. Painting's kind of like that, always changing, always surprising.