Lars Johnson Haukaness (1862-1929)
- LARS JONSON HAUKANESS (1862-1929)
- Seascape
- Oil on canvas
- 18 x 30 inches
- Signed lower left
Though the exact location and time period of Seascape are unknown, its universality represents very much the widelytraveled sensibility that infuses much of Haukaness's work. The painting is simultaneously unidentifiable and recognizable—in a sense 'nowhere,' and 'everywhere'. Reminiscent of the nonspecific seascapes of his Scandinavian peers—particularly those of the American-Danish impressionist, Emil Carlsen (1853- 1952)—Haukaness's rendering of the sea is moody and multidimensional. In portraying the sea at a moment of calm transition between night and day, Haukaness' work draws the viewer's attention to the gentle lapping of the waves and the glassy surface of the receding tide. Unusual in this painting is the symmetry of its subject matter. Having placed the sun in its center, the balance of the composition becomes weighted by the rock to the left, drawing attention once again to the irregularity of the waves as a dichotomously powerful yet tranquil force of nature.
