The Odalisque
The painting “The Odalisque” by Dominique Louis Féréol Papety oozes of sensuality. No wonder, perhaps, when we start to investigate what is depicted.
In Search Of Light
Essays on art, objects, places and philosophy — looking more closely at the things that shape ordinary life.
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Seaside
Some paintings seem to be about luxury, but are really about waiting. This is one of them.
The Bathers
Cézanne worked on this painting in the final decade of his life, and it took over ten years to compete. It can be seen as a celebration of nature and our union with it.
Bialetti—And His Legendary Pot
The Bialetti Moka Express is more than a way of making coffee. It is a small piece of industrial history, an icon of Italian design, and a reminder that an ordinary morning can still contain a little ceremony.
A Refuge in Time—The Old Town of Fredrikstad
In Fredrikstad’s Old Town, cobbled streets, wooden houses and old fortifications create more than a sense of history. They offer a rare pause from modern life—a place where the past still shapes the atmosphere and invites us to slow down.
Strömstad—The Town on the Other Side of the Border
Small towns can be very charming. Places you have visited a 100 times can offer interesting stories, if investigated a bit.
What Kierkegaard taught me about life
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard lived a life saturated with loneliness, sorrow, and humiliation. This backdrop, though, made him able to analyse and describe life in a way that is highly useful, even today.
Recent Essays
Objects
5 min read
Bialetti—And His Legendary Pot
The Bialetti Moka Express is more than a way of making coffee. It is a small piece of industrial history, an icon of Italian design, and a reminder that an ordinary morning can still contain a little ceremony.
Philosophy
10 min read
What Kierkegaard taught me about life
The Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard lived a life saturated with loneliness, sorrow, and humiliation. This backdrop, though, made him able to analyse and describe life in a way that is highly useful, even today.
Places
5 min read
A Refuge in Time—The Old Town of Fredrikstad
In Fredrikstad’s Old Town, cobbled streets, wooden houses and old fortifications create more than a sense of history. They offer a rare pause from modern life—a place where the past still shapes the atmosphere and invites us to slow down.
Places
6 min read
Strömstad—The Town on the Other Side of the Border
Small towns can be very charming. Places you have visited a 100 times can offer interesting stories, if investigated a bit.
Art
5 min read
The Odalisque
The painting “The Odalisque” by Dominique Louis Féréol Papety oozes of sensuality. No wonder, perhaps, when we start to investigate what is depicted.
Art
5 min read
Art
4 min read
The Bathers
Cézanne worked on this painting in the final decade of his life, and it took over ten years to compete. It can be seen as a celebration of nature and our union with it.
Art
3 min read
Interior View of the Metropolitan Museum of Art when in Fourteenth Street
This funny museum painting does not simply show art on the walls; it shows the act of looking at art.
Art
3 min read
Parapluie Revel
Does it have to be high art to inspire? Certainly not, as this simple advertising poster for an umbrella company shows.
Art
1 min read
Art
3 min read
Still Life with Checked Tablecloth
This picture seems a bit chaotic at first glance, but when you investigate cubism a bit further, it starts growing on you.
Art
3 min read
The Window
I have become fond of paintings that are able to take me away for a while. Paintings that can serve both as an escape and give room for reflection. This painting by Pierre Bonnard ticks both boxes.
Art
4 min read
Luncheon on the Grass
Art history is filled with intriguing turns and transitions. Some paintings have been attributed with greater impact than others, and this one from Édouard Manet is especially interesting.
Art
2 min read
Little Boy Looking at the Sea
Imagine being able to draw images like the one below at childhood! There is an intriguing mood to most of Edward Hopper’s painting that is premeditated in this painting, somehow.
Art
4 min read
Restring model
Some paintings may not have a deeper meaning. At least nothing that is possible to formulate in words without being... blunt. Still, they may be worthwhile to spend some time with.
Art
2 min read
Art
5 min read
A Nude Woman Doing Her Hair Before a Mirror
Some paintings are understated in the exact right way. This is one of them.
Art
2 min read
The Dog
Simple paintings can be powerful. Especially when we consider the artist and his possible state of mind at the time of painting.
Art
3 min read
Portrait of a Little Girl, Elise Købke, with a Cup
The image of Elise is at first just interesting, but the longer I look at it, the more this little girl start to grow on me. Her gaze keeps me captive, and makes me wonder about who she was.
Art
2 min read
Portrait of a Lady's Smile
Not every piece of art needs to be serious. Some images just put you in a better mood.
