Fjordlandskab med skovbevoksede skær 1832

Martinus Rørbye made this watercolor fjord landscape, with forested skerries, as a quick study in a sketchbook. This method allowed the artist to capture a scene immediately using the fluidity and transparency of watercolor paints. Notice how Rørbye manipulated the material to evoke the distinctive atmospheric quality of the Nordic landscape. The layered washes of diluted pigment give a sense of distance and the cool light, distinctive of the Scandinavian region. The softness of the watercolor is also important here. It is used to capture the reflective qualities of water, and the mist that often hangs over such landscapes. This work is less about high art than about the experience of sketching outdoors. It reminds us that sometimes, the most profound artistic statements are found in the simplest materials, and the everyday practice of observation.