Spring Sun
Titles with references to the sun were frequent in the works of the Slovenian impressionists in the Škofja Loka period (1903-1907). The composition is idiosyncratic in Sternen’s drawings and paintings of the time such as Morning, adopted as well by August Berthold in his photography. Sharply cropped hayracks in Jakopič’s paintings are placed diagonally leading the eye into the space, while Sternen usually laid them, in our case a farmhouse, parallel to the picture plane to block the view towards the horizon. A line of trees runs parallel to the façade and several pictorially defined planes follow one another further towards the picture surface eluding any specific reference. The motifs of the Norman farmhouses such as Cézanne’s painting of 1885-1886 migrated into Munich open air painting (Freilichtmalerei). Sternen made use of it in that Central European interpretation extending his palette in the range of pure and bright colours. Sharpening of detail in the background allows the viewer to emphatically enter the painting and enjoy the flickering light under the treetops and bright reflections of the white façade wall.