We decided on our final day to visit two museums in Batumi before making our way to the train to Tbilisi. So, expect a few more posts about those before I move on…..
The gallery notes that this painting is entitled ‘Winter Evening’ and was painted by Charles HJ Leickert (1816-1907). I’m finding ever more use for AI to tell me about paintings and artworks, including to what to look for, which might seem a retrograde step for some, but it does add layers of complexity to me.
Put straight in, AI thinks that this was painted by a Dutch artist in the eighteenth century. Although it has the date of painting wrong by a century, it has correctly identified the nationality of the painter. But I’m less concerned about that, as I like the reasons for why it has come to the conclusions that it has.
The twisted tree in the centre was a clue to AI, it claims that this was a common Dutch artistic ‘trick’ to draw the eye to the heart of the painting. It then mentions that Dutch artists liked to draw in figures skating on the frozen ice, to show the resilience of the population and how they came together in times of poor weather. And, finally, it noted that the church in the background showed a religious connection and the small houses a rural connection which all came together in community.
I don’t know whether AI is right on its logic, but I think there’s something magical about being able to get another perspective on an artwork. It also makes a guess that the heavy frame signified that it was likely part of a wider collection of paintings, rather than just one or two that a private owner might have.