There is something otherworldly about the paintings of David Kroll, which look at times like dispatches from long-ago periods in art history. To create his images of flora, fauna, and decorative objects, the artist carefully applies refined layers of oil paint and varnish on linen in the formal style of Dutch Baroque still lifes, Hudson River School landscapes, or the naturalist studies of John James Audubon. But unlike his artistic ancestors, Kroll starts without a predetermined vision, allowing his compositions to develop organically throughout his process. “Using this method,” the artist has said, “I try to express why a sunset fills us with wonder, why a certain quality of light can make a busy day suddenly still, and why the momentary sound of a bird call can seem—for that instant—like the most important thing in the world.”