This early-20th-century oil on canvas depicts a town gently lit by the last embers of the day. The sky is a swirl of tonal intrigue as a church spire juts through the horizontals. Smoke rises from a chimney, almost as a question mark set against grey.

The style of this work is synonymous with the post-impressionists - such as Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh. This disparate group of liberal thinkers sought to overcome the constraints of representing a subject faithfully in favour of portraying a feeling - a subjective glance upon the world around us. After all, what do any of us really see when our experiences are viewed through the filters of our own imagination?

By painting a feeling, the post-impressionists were painting themselves. Every work was a self-portrait. When we consider Van Gogh’s sunflowers, we learn more about the artist than we do about botany.

Here, in this view of a town, the artist is trying to capture more than aesthetic accuracy - they’re conveying a mood. The evening sky flickers and twists while the static rooftops converge into angular planes with bold lines. How do you feel? Perhaps there’s a sombre element? Or do you find peace?

Signed R Breitfeldt in the lower left and held within a later frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 33” x 29” / 84cm x 74cm
Year of creation: c. 1930
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.