A Landscape near Himmelbjerget, Jutland, in the Foreground a Gypsy Family

Rolling hills and shimmering lakes fill this view of the Danish countryside near Himmelbjerget, a spot in Jutland whose name translates to "Sky Mountain." The title sounds grander than the reality, since this peak rises only about 147 meters, making it one of the taller points in a fairly flat country. Louis Gurlitt, a German-Danish painter active in the mid-1800s, bathed the whole scene in a warm sunset glow that softens the distant land and catches the tops of the trees. The tender light and loving attention to nature mark this as a work of the Romantic tradition, which found beauty in the calm sweep of the countryside.

Down in the lower right sits the small clue behind the painting's name: a gypsy family taking a break beside the road. They appear as little more than specks against the enormous landscape, showing just how tiny people can look next to the open world around them. Gurlitt spent his life traveling and painting scenes throughout Europe, but he held a special affection for Denmark, where he trained early on in Copenhagen. Rather than shouting for attention, this canvas offers a quiet pause, echoing the same rest those travelers seem to be enjoying at the edge of the frame.