Farm Yard, Gol in Hallingdal
1880
Gustav Wentzel scribbled down this rustic Norwegian farm scene in September 1880, likely while standing right there in the dirt of Hallingdal. You can see his signature and the date '7/9 80' scrawled in the bottom corner, giving it the intimate feel of a visual diary entry. As a key figure in Norwegian Realism, Wentzel loved capturing the gritty, unpolished lives of ordinary people, and this loose sketch shows his eye for architectural detail even in a quick study. It feels like a snapshot of rural life just before the modern world rushed in.