Pines by the Sea

Windswept pines cling to a rocky island in this 1924 coastal scene by Birger Sandzén, a Swedish-born painter who made his home in Kansas for most of his life. The rocks glow with unexpected color, streaked with violet, pink, and gold, while the sea churns in deep blues and greens below. Above it all, a busy sky of thick clouds seems to press down on the little outcrop. The trees themselves lean and twist, shaped by wind you cannot see but can certainly imagine.

Sandzén built this painting with heavy, chunky strokes of paint, a technique that owes a lot to Post-Impressionists like Van Gogh. Rather than blend his colors into smooth transitions, he let each dab and swipe stand on its own, catching light and giving the whole surface a raised, almost carved feeling. He is usually linked with the sweeping landscapes of the American West, so this seaside view is a bit of a change of pace, though it carries the same fearless color and love of untamed nature. The subject is modest, but there is real pleasure in the way he handled his brush here.