PleinAir Magazine – August 2019

http://www.pleinairmagazine.com / August-September 2019 3

Plein Air Heritage

L

ikehismentorandfellowNorwegian,JohanChristianDahl,ThomasFearnley(1802–

1842)alternatedbetweenlarge,composedlandscapesmeantforexhibitionandsmaller,

pleinairoilsketches.Theypartedways,however,whenit cametosubjectmatter.While

Dahlurgedhimtospecializeinlocallandscapes,Fearnleypreferredtotravelandsketch

widelythroughoutEurope.Withitsbright,smallsunat thecenteremphasizingthefleetingquality

ofthemoment,andthestarklinesinthecloudshintingat theoncomingdarkness,Sunset,Sorrento

illustratestheattentiontheartistpaidtotheroleoflightinhisstudies.

Upontheartist’sdeathat age39,thissketchandmyriadotherssurfaced.AlthoughFearnley

consideredthemincompleteworks,Dahlarguedtheywere“betterthanhisfinishedpaintings,for

inthemhegaveofhistrueself,as hewasandas hefeltwhenface-to-facewithnature.”If notfor

Dahl’sencouragementoftheNorwegianNationalGallerytoacquirethesesketchesfromFearnley’s

widow,thepublicmayneverhaveenjoyed this revealing glimpse into the personal work of one of

Norway’s most important artists.

Sunset,Sorrento

ThomasFearnley

1834,oilonpaper,mountedtocard,5 3/4x 101/8in.

Thaw Collection, jointly owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Morgan Library & Museum, gift of Eugene V. Thaw, 2009

In PleinAirPortfolio, 15 artistsenhancethethrillandromanceoftheir work

by focusing on dramatic light effects in the landscape.