The artwork titled “Goleon- Sunset” was created by the artist Joris van der Horst in the year 2023. It is an oil painting on wood, with the dimensions of 24 by 39.4 inches. The piece is categorized within the landscape genre and embodies the realism art movement, aiming to faithfully depict the visual reality.
The painting portrays a serene yet dynamic landscape scene, focused on an expansive view of mountainous terrain bathed in the warm glow of a sunset. The sky, filled with streaks of orange and yellow hues, suggests the time of day when the sun is near the horizon, suffusing the sky with a rich palette of warm colors. This twilight ambiance is skillfully captured with meticulous brushwork, reflecting the characteristics of realism, aimed at recreating this majestic natural occurrence with precision and attention to detail.
Dynamic contrasts between the shaded mountain faces and the illuminated edges highlight the rugged texture of the terrain. The mountains themselves are rendered with sharp, angular lines, reinforcing their majestic and solid presence within the landscape. The foreground of the painting features a narrow path or road that seems to invite the viewer into the valley, hinting at the presence of human interaction with the natural world, but it is the overwhelming presence of the mountains and sky that dominates the artwork.
In this piece, van der Horst has adeptly captured the essence of a fleeting moment, the transient beauty of a sunset, with the permanence of oil paint, allowing viewers to immerse themselves in the tranquil grandeur of the natural landscape. The attention to detail within the rugged textures of the rocks, combined with the smooth gradients of color in the sky, showcases the artist’s skill in utilizing the medium of oil on wood to convey the splendor of the natural world.