Shafts of light and glowing focal points are characteristic of many 19th century Romantic landscape paintings. The work of Francis Danby (1793-1861) is one such example; the Irish artist is remembered for producing dramatic Biblical scenes and apocalyptic views. Danby’s depictions of shipwrecks, flooding and doom were often accompanied by a lightning strike, or a radiant, blazing sun, and have been compared to similar pictures by the more widely-known John Martin (1789-1854). His The Great Day of His Wrath (1853), was, according to Martin’s son, based on a night journey through the Black Country. Fast-forward to 2024, and creatives are still grappling with nature and the sublime. Daniel Grizelj draws inspiration from classical paintings. In his photographs, focused light is essential – whether it appears from beneath branches, rocks or snowy peaks. Here, the Gothenburg-based artist invites us to take a walk after dark, traversing forests and eerie fields blanketed in show. Grizelj harnesses deep shadow as a way to “lead the observer through a maze of the subconscious and the imaginative, where the illumination is the opening.”
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All images courtesy Daniel Grizelj.
