Jean Pierre François Lamorinière, Spruce Forest in Putte, 1883

by Atelier Liesjes

A dense pine forest fills the entire scene. The trunks stand straight and close together, reddish-brown in colour with the occasional lighter patch where the bark has cracked open; high above the ground, they branch out into dark green crowns. A narrow sandy path winds its way between the trees towards the background, where it grows lighter and the forest seems to end in a haze of yellow-green light. In the foreground lies a small pool of brown water, in which the trunks are reflected as stripes. Three rabbits sit on the path: two crouching close together, one sitting upright and looking at the viewer. All around grow moss, heather and low spruce trees, and the ground is covered with a thick layer of needles. Lamorinière used the path as an invisible axis: all the tree trunks, shadows and patches of light lead towards that single point of light in the distance. The gaze is drawn inwards, ever deeper into the forest. This lends the forest a solemn air, almost like a church interior made of trees. The colours are warm and earthy: reddish-brown, ochre-grey, pine-green and sandy-yellow, with the green of the heather providing a cool accent. The rabbits are small and painted in a casual manner, yet they break the silence in a way that brings the whole scene to life. The pond is small and shallow, but its dark surface draws the eye to the foreground.
Putte, on the border between Brabant and Zeeland, was one of the regular spots where the painter (Antwerp 1828 – Antwerp 1911) sought his subjects. He admired the old Flemish landscape painters and remained faithful to a meticulous, realistic style throughout his life. His woods are never mere backdrops, but always places where one might lose one’s way. In Putte, he found the sort of woodland he was looking for: straight, orderly and quiet. A green, sheltered piece for a study or hall.