Every Atom is Colour — An Elegant Sufficiency

As soon as I saw the title, I knew this exhibition would be right up my street. I’d never heard of Harriet Backer though, which made it all the more interesting.

In fact, I didn’t get to “meet” her until almost the end of the exhibition, when there was this photograph of her working. There’s a rather good introduction to the artist and her work here on the Museum website if like me, it helps to have an idea of the person responsible for some of these glorious artworks and I’ll simply share a few of my favourites.

I followed the suggested route, starting with some of her earliest works such as this one, completed in 1878 and called The Farewell. It shows a daughter leaving home, saying goodbye to her father with her mother distraught in the corner. It’s painted in rather a traditional style and I thought the emotions were captured really well here.

Over the years, her work became more impressionist in style and this work “Blue Interior” was the one which prompted the comment “Every atom is colour”. I was immediately drawn to these domestic settings with subjects such as this.

I enjoyed the selection of works shown here too, from the first sketches outlining her ideas, like in the picture above.

Then a little further along, identifying the same figure in a slightly different setting.

Or here, in a sketch where two cobblers are mending shoes in the light from a window.

Shown alongside the finished, more refined painting. Too frequently we see only the end result, disregarding the many sketches, sampling and preparative work that went into creating the successful finished piece.

Her works showed ordinary people doing about their daily lives, for example taking communion in their local church.

The painting of the colourfully painted interior of Uvdal Stave Church caught my eye, as did the box of paints alongside it.

I read the text alongside the cabinet containing the paintbox:

“Backer visited Uvdal in the summers of 1904 - 1908, renting rooms close to the church. By that time it was managed by the Society for the preservation of Ancient Norwegian Monuments and no longer in use. That meant Backer could work there undisturbed. Her three lively but meticulous paintings of the place reveal her fascination for the colours and architecture. As a curiosity, a stool, an easel and a box of painting materials that she used remain in the church to this day”

So how come they’re here then, I thought, before checking the label on the cabinet and noting that this is “a box of similar materials”. OK 😉

I really love how so many of these paintings are of people just getting on with things in interesting settings. The colour really did make this series of works special and I was glad to have encountered Harriet Backer at last. I need to learn more about her too and will certainly walk around the exhibition a few more times by means of the website - almost, but not quite as good as being there for real!