#FineArtFriday: Upon Sunny Waves, by Hans Dahl

Hans Dahl (19 February 1849 – 27 July 1937) was a Norwegian painter.

Trained in Germany, Hans Dahl is associated with the Düsseldorf school of painting, which was characterized by finely detailed imaginary landscapes. Despite later mean-spirited criticisms by other artists and art critics, Dahl remained true to his idealized fantasy art, resisting the movement from Romanticism to Modernism.

What I love about this painting:

Dahl captures the bold freedom of sailing on a sunny summer day. He captures the sense of flying on the water that makes sailing a small boat so much fun.

We aren’t on a leisurely fishing expedition here—this is boating for the sake of adventure. We’re running with wind and enjoying every minute of it.

About the Artist, via Wikipedia:

In the 1890s a new school of art arose, and artists like Dahl were not very popular in the leading circles in the capital. He was particularly criticized by the art historian Jens Thiis. He was severely criticized by fellow artists especially by Christian Krohg, who was one of the leading figures in the transition from romanticism to naturalism which characterized Norwegian art in this period. Throughout his life, he increasingly narrowed his range of topics. Dahl often described the scenery of the western part of Norway in brilliant sunshine with smiling people in national costumes. His vibrant colors and charming portrayals of young Norwegian girls in their national costume have always been very popular.

Credits and Attributions:

Wikipedia contributors, “Hans Dahl,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hans_Dahl&oldid=827399492 (accessed June 13, 2019).

Upon Sunny Waves, by Hans Dahl PD|70 [Public domain]

Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Hans Dahl – Upon sunny waves.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Hans_Dahl_-_Upon_sunny_waves.jpg&oldid=140877929 (accessed June 13, 2019).