The Forgotten Landscape Master

Meet Peder Balke: A Landscape Genius on the Level of Friedrich That You Never Heard About

Introduction

(Landscape from Finnmark, Peder Balke, 1860)

During the 19th century, the importance of landscapes was elevated. Landscapes were no longer viewed as a lower-grade genre. Painters such as Caspar David Friedrich and Johan Christian Dahl used the form of a landscape to discuss complex ideas such as man’s place in nature, God, the sublime, etc.

There were many painters involved in the movement to elevate landscapes. Many are still remembered and celebrated; the most notable examples are the American Hudson River School painters and the aforementioned Friedrich and Dahl. Unfortunately, many of these artistic giants were overshadowed by their contemporaries.

I want to introduce you to one of those long-forgotten 19th-century masters. Meet Peder Balke.

Balke's Unique Artistry

(Tree in a Wintry Forest, Peder Balke, 1850s)

I first encountered Peder Balke (1804–1887) at the National Gallery of Denmark. I immediately fell in love with him upon seeing his painting, “Tree in a Wintry Forest.”

One aspect of his art that makes it so captivating is the laser-sharp focus he exhibits. Balke’s style exemplifies epistemological clarity on a level that wouldn’t put giants like Vermeer to shame. The subtle snow-covered leaves and the naked tree covered with a thin layer of fresh snow are strikingly beautiful works of detail. The clear sky that fades into the almost pitch-black abyss in the distance is a menacing yet intriguing sight to behold. The sheer sense of cleanliness brought to the scene by the lack of human presence and the snow is gorgeous.

A Deeper Look at 'Tree in a Wintry Forest'

Another interesting detail I initially missed in my first reading of “Tree in a Wintry Forest” is that the top of the central tree is broken. This detail adds another possible way to interpret the painting; it’s about death. Notice that this is the only partially naked tree visible in the scene. One possible way to interpret this is to assume that this is autumn time, and that’s why those leaves have fallen. But consider this: No other trees look like that in the scene. No fallen leaves are visible anywhere, and in the upper part, where there are still some leaves left, there’s a dramatic breakage of the wood. This detail implies the death was unforeseen. This is not a naked tree, but a dead one. Also, the sky only becomes white and clear around our central tree; this represents the afterlife, and the dark in the background represents death.

The Arctic Landscapist

(North Cape, Peder Balke, 1845)

As you may have noticed, many of his works feature a very rare subject throughout art history: Norway's North Cape. Balke was one of the earliest painters to travel north of the Arctic Circle in the 1830s. This was an essentially virgin landscape for both human settlement and artistic depiction. Like the American Hudson River painters, who ventured to the vast virgin landscapes of America, Balke ventured to the north of Norway.

Balke's Influences and Innovations

(View of Dresden by Moonlight, Johan Christian Dahl, 1839)

Balke’s influences are directly tied to Dahl and Friedrich. Dahl served as Balke’s mentor in Dresden in 1836 and 1843–1844. Dresden is also where Balke met Friedrich and other romantic painters of the time, who profoundly influenced Balke’s approach to landscapes.

Balke was an innovator. He travelled extreme distances in one of the harshest climates in Europe to portray new views and alien mountains, which he used as a dramatic literary tool to portray the sublime.

Conclusion

(Peder Balke, Landscape from Finnmark with Sámi and Reindeer, 1850)

We conclude our arctic adventure with “Landscape from Finnmark with Sámi and Reindeer.” This is a quintessential romantic painting. It has a vast and powerful portrayal of nature's sublimity; like many great 19th-century romantics, Balke utilizes Rückenfigur to relate to the human condition and to ask questions about man’s relationship to nature. We have dramatic lighting, contrasting warm, earthy colours that contrast with the cold Arctic mountains. This is perfect.

Balke takes you on an adventure in a vast, unfamiliar, and hostile environment. There’s an inherent sense of a survival struggle in his works; there’s also a sense of fear, not only from the extreme weather but from the dark vastness. Imagine what hostile animals wait for us there.

Despite all these dangers, we are captivated by Balke’s world. It’s intriguing. We want to see more. We want to venture into this beautiful wilderness. We want to feel the cold, crystal-clear winds blowing on our heads. Please take a closer look at the art I’ve included here. Try to immerse yourself in them and enjoy their wild beauty; try to hear the sounds, feel the bone-piercing cold, and imagine yourself in those scenes.

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