Dreamy Paintings by Jacob Brostrup Layer Interior and Exterior Scenes into Surreal Composites

Riken Maharjan

“Out of the Swamp,” oil on canvas, 130 x 140 centimeters. All images © Jacob Brostrup

Danish artist Jacob Brostrup (previously) beautifully blurs the organic and domestic in his enchanting scenes of soaked floorboards and branches that jut from every corner. What could be a reason to phone a contractor in real life, the downed trees and pooling water in the artist’s oil paintings create a fictional universe in which nature and humanity exist simultaneously in the same space. Each artwork is filled with an incredible number of realistic details that pattern armchairs and provide moss its fuzzy texture.
In a statement, Brostrup referred to his vivid works as “a sampling of snapshots, of hidden glimpse(s) of the past, of other cultures, of the movement of everyday life… There are layers upon layers; a fusion of sensory impressions.” His process begins with a pencil sketch on canvas before covering backdrops of cloudy skies and tiled floors with ornate molding and tree blossoms.
You can find an extensive history of Brostrup’s charming paintings on Instagram, along with his available pieces on Artsy.