Peter Christian Skovgaard (1817-1875) is regarded as a leading artist of the Danish Golden Age, the period mainly covering the middle of the 19th century when that country’s art became characterised by highly innovative approaches to painting, often involving a renewed appreciation of nature. Skovgaard is rightly seen as the most important proponent of Scandinavian romanticism, together with his fellow artist and friend J.Th. Lundbye (1818-1848), in large part because he excelled at making large, sweeping landscapes.
Our present painting shows such a magnificent landscape: the so-called Himmelbjærget, or "Sky Mountain", a hill in eastern Jutland at one of Denmark's highest points. It stands 147 meters tall, located between the towns of Ry and Silkeborg. In the second half of the 19th century, following a general wave of nationalism then prevalent in Europe, the hill started to play an iconic role in Danish nationalist lore.
The Heavenly Mountain is located in an area of natural beauty, surrounded by three lakes. The artist has chosen to depict the mountain across Lake Julso, the largest of the 3 lakes in the area. This was done deliberately: the height difference from the lake to the top of the heavenly mountain measures some 121 m, which gave it a splendid sense of vastness. Skovgaard has taken great care to paint every last detail in great nuance: the summer sun covers the surroundings with a placid warmth. A small boat on the lake indicates a level of activity, which is distant enough not to disturb the tranquillity.
The Heavenly Mountain itself rises over the proceedings, remaining statuesque in the background, its view being partly obscured by a large tree. Skovgaard completed the painting in 1868, following a visit to the area in 1867, which he undertook together with his protégé Janus la Cour. The contrast between both artists’ take on the iconic mountain could not have been more stark: where La Cour depicted an understated ruggedness amidst a barren heath, Skovgaard chose to envelop the spot in a glorious sense of idealism.
P.C. Skovgaard was born in 1817 and commenced his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen in 1831. In 1836 he started private tuition with the leading landscape painter J.L. Lund. He had early success when his work was acquired by the Danish Royal Painting collection in the late 1830s. He continuously worked on his development as an artist, travelling around Zealand region with his friend and fellow-artist, J.Th. Lundbye in 1843 and traversing across Italy with another painter, Wilhelm Marstrand, in the 1850s. He was appointed a Professor at the Danish Royal Academy in 1860 and exhibited at the World Exhibition in London in 1862.
He was influential in shaping a subsequent generation of Danish artists and is an iconic figure in Scandinavian 19th century art. Today, his work can be seen in all leading Danish museums.
Our present painting shows such a magnificent landscape: the so-called Himmelbjærget, or "Sky Mountain", a hill in eastern Jutland at one of Denmark's highest points. It stands 147 meters tall, located between the towns of Ry and Silkeborg. In the second half of the 19th century, following a general wave of nationalism then prevalent in Europe, the hill started to play an iconic role in Danish nationalist lore.
The Heavenly Mountain is located in an area of natural beauty, surrounded by three lakes. The artist has chosen to depict the mountain across Lake Julso, the largest of the 3 lakes in the area. This was done deliberately: the height difference from the lake to the top of the heavenly mountain measures some 121 m, which gave it a splendid sense of vastness. Skovgaard has taken great care to paint every last detail in great nuance: the summer sun covers the surroundings with a placid warmth. A small boat on the lake indicates a level of activity, which is distant enough not to disturb the tranquillity.
The Heavenly Mountain itself rises over the proceedings, remaining statuesque in the background, its view being partly obscured by a large tree. Skovgaard completed the painting in 1868, following a visit to the area in 1867, which he undertook together with his protégé Janus la Cour. The contrast between both artists’ take on the iconic mountain could not have been more stark: where La Cour depicted an understated ruggedness amidst a barren heath, Skovgaard chose to envelop the spot in a glorious sense of idealism.
P.C. Skovgaard was born in 1817 and commenced his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen in 1831. In 1836 he started private tuition with the leading landscape painter J.L. Lund. He had early success when his work was acquired by the Danish Royal Painting collection in the late 1830s. He continuously worked on his development as an artist, travelling around Zealand region with his friend and fellow-artist, J.Th. Lundbye in 1843 and traversing across Italy with another painter, Wilhelm Marstrand, in the 1850s. He was appointed a Professor at the Danish Royal Academy in 1860 and exhibited at the World Exhibition in London in 1862.
He was influential in shaping a subsequent generation of Danish artists and is an iconic figure in Scandinavian 19th century art. Today, his work can be seen in all leading Danish museums.
An August afternoon, 1868
Signed/dated lower left: P. Skovgaard 1868
Oil on canvas
127 x 189 cm
Provenance
Sotheby's London, auction 2 April 1998, lot 5 (19th Century European Paintings, Drawings and Watercolours);Private collection, England
Private collection, Netherlands
Exhibitions
Copenhagen, Charlottenborg, 1869, no. 197;Copenhagen, Kunstforeningen, 1917, no. 349
Literature
"P.C. Skovgaard. Dansk guldalder revurderet", exh. cat 2010, Fuglsang Kunstmuseum and Skovgaard Museet,, Fig. 57, p. 185 (repr.)
Peter Christian Skovgaard (1817-1875) is regarded as a leading artist of the Danish Golden Age, the period mainly covering the middle of the 19th century when that country’s art became characterised by highly innovative approaches to painting, often involving a renewed appreciation of nature. Skovgaard is rightly seen as the most important proponent of Scandinavian romanticism, together with his fellow artist and friend J.Th. Lundbye (1818-1848), in large part because he excelled at making large, sweeping landscapes.
Our present painting shows such a magnificent landscape: the so-called Himmelbjærget, or "Sky Mountain", a hill in eastern Jutland at one of Denmark's highest points. It stands 147 meters tall, located between the towns of Ry and Silkeborg. In the second half of the 19th century, following a general wave of nationalism then prevalent in Europe, the hill started to play an iconic role in Danish nationalist lore.
The Heavenly Mountain is located in an area of natural beauty, surrounded by three lakes. The artist has chosen to depict the mountain across Lake Julso, the largest of the 3 lakes in the area. This was done deliberately: the height difference from the lake to the top of the heavenly mountain measures some 121 m, which gave it a splendid sense of vastness. Skovgaard has taken great care to paint every last detail in great nuance: the summer sun covers the surroundings with a placid warmth. A small boat on the lake indicates a level of activity, which is distant enough not to disturb the tranquillity.
The Heavenly Mountain itself rises over the proceedings, remaining statuesque in the background, its view being partly obscured by a large tree. Skovgaard completed the painting in 1868, following a visit to the area in 1867, which he undertook together with his protégé Janus la Cour. The contrast between both artists’ take on the iconic mountain could not have been more stark: where La Cour depicted an understated ruggedness amidst a barren heath, Skovgaard chose to envelop the spot in a glorious sense of idealism.
P.C. Skovgaard was born in 1817 and commenced his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen in 1831. In 1836 he started private tuition with the leading landscape painter J.L. Lund. He had early success when his work was acquired by the Danish Royal Painting collection in the late 1830s. He continuously worked on his development as an artist, travelling around Zealand region with his friend and fellow-artist, J.Th. Lundbye in 1843 and traversing across Italy with another painter, Wilhelm Marstrand, in the 1850s. He was appointed a Professor at the Danish Royal Academy in 1860 and exhibited at the World Exhibition in London in 1862.
He was influential in shaping a subsequent generation of Danish artists and is an iconic figure in Scandinavian 19th century art. Today, his work can be seen in all leading Danish museums.
Our present painting shows such a magnificent landscape: the so-called Himmelbjærget, or "Sky Mountain", a hill in eastern Jutland at one of Denmark's highest points. It stands 147 meters tall, located between the towns of Ry and Silkeborg. In the second half of the 19th century, following a general wave of nationalism then prevalent in Europe, the hill started to play an iconic role in Danish nationalist lore.
The Heavenly Mountain is located in an area of natural beauty, surrounded by three lakes. The artist has chosen to depict the mountain across Lake Julso, the largest of the 3 lakes in the area. This was done deliberately: the height difference from the lake to the top of the heavenly mountain measures some 121 m, which gave it a splendid sense of vastness. Skovgaard has taken great care to paint every last detail in great nuance: the summer sun covers the surroundings with a placid warmth. A small boat on the lake indicates a level of activity, which is distant enough not to disturb the tranquillity.
The Heavenly Mountain itself rises over the proceedings, remaining statuesque in the background, its view being partly obscured by a large tree. Skovgaard completed the painting in 1868, following a visit to the area in 1867, which he undertook together with his protégé Janus la Cour. The contrast between both artists’ take on the iconic mountain could not have been more stark: where La Cour depicted an understated ruggedness amidst a barren heath, Skovgaard chose to envelop the spot in a glorious sense of idealism.
P.C. Skovgaard was born in 1817 and commenced his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen in 1831. In 1836 he started private tuition with the leading landscape painter J.L. Lund. He had early success when his work was acquired by the Danish Royal Painting collection in the late 1830s. He continuously worked on his development as an artist, travelling around Zealand region with his friend and fellow-artist, J.Th. Lundbye in 1843 and traversing across Italy with another painter, Wilhelm Marstrand, in the 1850s. He was appointed a Professor at the Danish Royal Academy in 1860 and exhibited at the World Exhibition in London in 1862.
He was influential in shaping a subsequent generation of Danish artists and is an iconic figure in Scandinavian 19th century art. Today, his work can be seen in all leading Danish museums.
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