Description of the picture:
High in the mountains – Hans Dahl. Canvas, oil. 100.4 x 71.1 cm.
This painting belongs to the brush of the son of the famous Norwegian artist Hans Dahl, Hans Andreas. The creative techniques and plots of the paintings of the father and son are very similar, but the son still has a more impressionistic style of writing and a special gift to convey space exclusively of depth.
This canvas is a vivid example of the master’s ability to convey air, space and perspective. It depicts a young girl dressed in a national costume. She sits half-turned to the viewer, so that he cannot see her face, and remains an abstract collective image of ordinary Norwegian women.
The girl fit on a rocky ledge against the background of lushly blossoming alpine grasses. She leans on a large wooden rake, and the viewer understands that she did not come to the mountains to admire the beauties, but works here – she rakes the grass cut by men. Tired, she sat down for a moment to rest, and froze forever, staring intently at the world at her feet.
Grasses and rocks located in the foreground contrast in color, warmth and image technique with vast mountain ranges lying in the background. They literally drown in a light fog, rather in a damp haze. She smoothes the brightness of the colors, dimming them with the finest lilac veil.
The panorama of the mountains is incredible. There was a place in it, and alpine meadows greening through the haze, and bare grayish rocks, and living silver running along the steep slopes of streams and mountain streams. This picture can be considered for a very long time, each time revealing previously unnoticed details.
The combination of a carefully detailed front edge of the picture with blurry foggy distances saturates the canvas with air to the limit and makes it very natural, like a window into a long-existing, almost fabulous world.
In the foreground, you can see literally every blade of grass, a separate unpretentious flower. The master managed to harmonize the variegation of various colors so that they produce a very solid impression. The same goes for the rocks. From afar, the viewer sees the clear silhouettes of old weathered stones, and near it all turns into expertly laid strokes in different directions with a wide flat brush and possibly even a palette knife.
This is a very talented work of an unconditionally artistically gifted master. It remains only to regret that he left this world so early. But his wonderful paintings became a monument to him."