Cività d'Antino in the Abruzzi 1911

Poul S. Christiansen made this painting of Cività d'Antino in the Abruzzi in 1911 with oil on canvas, and it’s a lesson in muted tones and thoughtful mark-making. Look at how the paint isn’t trying to trick you into thinking it’s anything other than, well, paint. You can see the brushstrokes moving around on the surface of the canvas, like how Christiansen might have moved around the landscape. The ochres and blues aren’t just colors; they’re almost like characters in a play, each with their own texture and weight. I find myself particularly drawn to the way the buildings are built up with these gentle, almost hesitant strokes. It reminds me a bit of Corot, but with a Scandinavian twist – that northern light, all soft and diffused, casting shadows that whisper instead of shout. It's like Christiansen is having a quiet conversation with the landscape, and we're lucky enough to eavesdrop. Art isn't about answers, it’s about the questions we ask and the spaces we create to ask them.