Sunburst Over Säckingen, Black Forest Signed With The Artist’s Initials And Dated 1910 

Curator: The light in this landscape by Hans Thoma, titled "Sunburst Over Säckingen, Black Forest," just commands attention. Thoma signed and dated it 1910. Editor: The overwhelming amber tones create a slightly suffocating sensation; is this light supposed to represent joy or impending doom? It almost feels apocalyptic! I'm curious about the pigments used to achieve such a saturated effect. Curator: Perhaps it represents the simultaneous beauty and overwhelming power of nature? Remember, romanticism sought the sublime in nature, to show our place as small and in awe within nature's reach. Think of it as divine presence mediated by landscape; consider the light's almost halo-like glow above the town. Editor: You see the sublime; I see a clear process here—the build-up of layers of oil paint to capture that light is evident. There is probably evidence in his letters what materials he used, and why: was it locally available, or did the artist's travels allow him access to specific types? This determined the final materiality we see here. Also, Thoma did many paintings en plein air, outdoors in one session. Curator: That golden haze is indeed captivating! It bathes the little town nestled below in a sense of timelessness, wouldn't you say? But also notice that lone figure walking down the hillside in the lower left of the canvas. Editor: Ah yes, that solitary figure reminds me of the larger social contexts: it points to the rise of urbanism in the 19th and early 20th centuries that shaped rural experiences and changed work possibilities. Where does that road he’s on lead to? Curator: To understanding what shapes his individual narrative set against the backdrop of eternity! Overall the artist provides us access into symbolic language, an era and a people. Editor: For me it represents something similar in his approach to applying and mixing specific types of paint and how that act can transport us into another experience of our shared existence.