Art Explained by a Writer: An Idyll (1906)
Every now and then, I think of the time we first met. You looked attractive, and the best part was that you made me laugh with that Zorro cape and your hat. We thought we owned the world and could colour it with just a few kisses. It didn't matter where we were. The most dilapidated neighborhood was our paradise. We had no doubt that things would get better.
Once in a while I think back to our only holiday at Åsgårdstrand. Looking back, it wasn't much to look at. The weather was depressingly bad, there were no tourists, and the only person we met was the taciturn man who nudged us with his stick and then pointed to his boat. Should we have accepted his offer? Should we have gone out to sea in that rickety thing?
We laughed at the old man and his dilapidated boat back then, but sometimes I think it would have been better to spend our last money on that trip. At least then there would have been the memory.
That oil portrait of me that you painted on a panel may seem idyllic to the viewer, but the truth is that what is seen only exists in the eyes of the beholder, those who still believe in illusions.
Painter: Hans Olaf Halvor Heyerdahl
Paintings: Ved vinduet (the woman at the window is Maren Christine Heyerdahl (1854–1931), the artist's first wife), An Idyll (1906) and Fra Åsgårdstrand (1887)
6-4-2026
The contest Art & Writing is hosted by @solperez.
Sometimes I think we should do crazy things so we can feel they were worthwhile, especially when we can no longer do them. I loved reading your work.
Me gusta cómo lograste enlazar las tres obras en una historia, en la que se cuenta una historia de amor, un paseo y luego un recuerdo de los momentos vividos. A veces creo que debemos hacer más locuras para luego sentir que ha valido la pena vivirlas, sobre todo cuando ya no las podamos hacer. Me encantó leerte.
Beautiful write ups, there is nothing as sweet as sharing good memories even in the worst set of places, such memories can’t be forgotten and it will be cherished for life.