A Mountain Lake. Study from North Norway Anna Katarina Boberg (1864-1935)

The composition presents a landscape dominated by a range of imposing mountains reflected in the still surface of a lake. The artist has positioned the viewer at water level, creating a symmetrical arrangement where the peaks mirror themselves across the reflective plane. This mirroring effect emphasizes the tranquility and stillness inherent to the scene.
Here we see a palette largely composed of cool tones – blues, greens, and grays – which contribute to an overall sense of serenity and perhaps even melancholy. The mountains are rendered with thick impasto strokes, particularly noticeable in their snow-capped peaks, suggesting texture and volume. These areas of white are not uniform; instead, they exhibit subtle variations in tone that hint at the play of light on the snow.
The lower slopes of the mountains transition into verdant green foliage, which is also applied with visible brushstrokes, lending a sense of vitality to the landscape despite its overall coolness. The lake itself is treated with horizontal strokes, reinforcing the impression of calm and mirroring the forms above. A small, dark branch protrudes from the left foreground, offering a point of contrast against the lighter tones of the water and providing a grounding element within the composition.
Subtly, the painting conveys a sense of isolation and vastness. The scale of the mountains dwarfs any human presence, suggesting the power and indifference of nature. The stillness of the lake implies an undisturbed environment, untouched by human activity. While visually pleasing, theres also a quiet austerity to the scene; it is not a landscape brimming with life but one characterized by its imposing grandeur and inherent solitude. The artist’s choice to focus on this specific vista – a mountain lake – implies a reverence for the natural world and an interest in capturing its raw beauty.