Summer 1872

Curator: We are now looking at "Summer," an 1872 oil painting by the German artist Hans Thoma. It's quite striking, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Whoa, a blast of midsummer night's dream! Immediately I think about overgrown meadows in fairytales—that darkness brewing in the background, but warmth glowing here below. How large is this work? I am fascinated by the intimate scale combined with an almost mythical quality. Curator: It is of medium size, and Hans Thoma was, of course, working in the later part of the 19th century, as romanticism was yielding to a new aesthetic, with an increasing number of artists seeking inspiration away from big cities and revisiting nature. The subject and setting in "Summer," of course, would appeal to audiences of the time who found idealized rural life a potent symbol of Germany's identity. Editor: Exactly! There's this palpable tension, isn't there, between the 'official' embrace of idyllic landscapes, and the true darkness underlying those images... In a way, I detect that unsettling sensation when you realize that, as wonderful as being in nature feels, there is that lurking fear that the natural world will eventually just move on, without you. Curator: That contrast is echoed by the painting's style: the impressionistic touch of color that softens outlines alongside the crispness with which the faces of the resting figures are defined. And do notice the careful tonal arrangements to evoke light filtering through the foliage and a sky so deep, one wonders what lies beyond it. Thoma does use painting techniques to express how landscape both defines us and dwarfs us. Editor: It feels wonderfully ambivalent – the figures could almost be lost within the sheer floral abundance and depth. It has me contemplating where beauty stops and overwhelmingness begins. "Summer" asks such profound questions from something so apparently pleasant. A potent visual poem about existing here. Curator: Well said. And it reveals that art can operate at so many levels, offering pleasures both aesthetic and philosophical. Editor: Right. Time spent considering an artwork such as "Summer" is always time well-spent. Thanks.