Carl Kylberg’s painting Havsvik (Sea Cove) may depict a coastal scene near Ystad or Ålsgårde on the Danish island of Zealand. Rather than offering precise topographical views, Kylberg’s seascapes capture the changing light, colour and atmosphere of the coast. The possible location is suggested by the artist’s biography. During the summers of 1935 and 1936, he spent considerable time in Ystad while the family’s newly acquired house in Ålsgårde, on the Øresund coast, was being renovated.

Once the house was ready, the views across the Øresund, the Danish coastline and the shifting light over the sea became important sources of inspiration. The red house on the hillside in the present painting recalls the motifs of his own seaside home, which he often depicted in works titled På stranden, Kylbergshus (By the Shore, Kylberg’s House).

Kylberg often painted landscapes from memory and personal experience rather than directly from nature. This coastal scene may therefore be understood as an expression of the atmosphere and changing light he experienced along the shores of the Øresund.

The present work showcases Kylberg’s exceptional sensitivity to colour. Balancing between representation and abstraction, the composition sets the glowing reds and oranges of the houses against the deep blue sea and lush green hills. His free, sweeping brushstrokes bring movement to the scene, while the luminous, almost dreamlike light lends the landscape a warm and harmonious atmosphere. More than simply depicting a view, Kylberg evokes the very feeling of being by the sea.