Rutarhof (Farmyard Light)

Into the 1960s, Werner Berg lived and worked on his farm without electricity. A petroleum lamp or a candle served as the source of illumination for his nocturnal paintings.

Here the Rutarhof is seen in deep snow on a winter night, with the barn in the foreground at the right in front of the house, which is illuminated by the electric lighting installed in 1964. As in so many of Werner Berg’s nocturnal paintings, the light source is not seen. This imparts something magical and at the same time something cozy and sheltering to the house shining brightly from the deep darkness of the blue tones. “I was always concerned with filling a strictly built pictorial structure with a resonance of life and uniqueness,” said Werner Berg.