Aften 1907

Louise Ravn-Hansen made this print called Aften, sometime in the late 19th century. The palette is very restrained. Mostly tones of brown and umber. I imagine Ravn-Hansen standing outside, feeling the cool night air, squinting to see the moon, and deciding to translate this experience through etching. The light reflected on the water looks like shivers, and each little hatch mark that builds the image probably felt to her like a decision, a response to what she was seeing. The composition has a long vertical emphasis, which makes me think of Chinese landscape painting. Those tall thin trees could be bamboo, but they're definitely not. It's interesting how one artist can pick up on things that were left unsaid by another, across time and geography. Each artist adds a layer to this visual conversation, riffing on what came before and setting the stage for future players. And that’s how art keeps evolving.