In his native Denmark, Erik Henningsen’s oeuvre is represented in leading museums, as one of the leading 19th century practitioners of social realism.
Henningsen was concerned with the hand dealt to society’s lower orders and was fascinated by snippets of everyday life in the big city. Behind it all was an occasionally stentorian sense of social justice with accusatory undertones regarding the condition of the proletariat. This could lead to maudlin scenes, such as his most famous work – hanging in Copenhagen’s Hirschsprung Collection - showing a miserable wench, head bowed, flanked by police on an overcast moor digging for the shallow grave of the woman’s unwanted child. The implication seems to be that her terrible crime of infanticide was perhaps committed out of despair fuelled by grinding poverty [1]. But leaving occasionally tearful subject matter aside, Henningsen mostly wanted to be an excellent painter, and he experimented with different angles and colours to achieve optimal real-life detail.
Our painting shows the longing for freedom exemplified by young people seeking solace in the open countryside. The cycling couple in the painting have left Copenhagen behind, and are on their way for a refreshing day out in the wide open. Judging by their appearance, they are probably students. The way the man’s hand leans on the woman’s shoulders indicates friendship and camaraderie. The painter clearly wants the viewer to feel a sense of openness and good cheer, judging by the sunny colours.
Technically, Henningsen’s ability as a painter is firmly on display. The man’s hand clenching the handlebar has been depicted very realistically, and a sense of movement is present in the painting throughout. Henningsen travelled throughout his career and visited Germany, Holland and France. One wonders whether his interest in painting people shown moving was gleaned from the work of French Impressionists.
Erik Henningsen was born in Copenhagen in 1855, where he also died in 1930. He received his formal training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where he enrolled in 1873. He earned a living as an illustrator as well as a painter and earned several medals. Today, his work can be seen in many of Denmark’s museums.
[1] Summum jus, summa injuria, 1886, oil on canvas, 78,5 x 117 cm, Inv. No. 154. The implication being that the law sometimes comes down hardest on those least able to defend themselves.
Henningsen was concerned with the hand dealt to society’s lower orders and was fascinated by snippets of everyday life in the big city. Behind it all was an occasionally stentorian sense of social justice with accusatory undertones regarding the condition of the proletariat. This could lead to maudlin scenes, such as his most famous work – hanging in Copenhagen’s Hirschsprung Collection - showing a miserable wench, head bowed, flanked by police on an overcast moor digging for the shallow grave of the woman’s unwanted child. The implication seems to be that her terrible crime of infanticide was perhaps committed out of despair fuelled by grinding poverty [1]. But leaving occasionally tearful subject matter aside, Henningsen mostly wanted to be an excellent painter, and he experimented with different angles and colours to achieve optimal real-life detail.
Our painting shows the longing for freedom exemplified by young people seeking solace in the open countryside. The cycling couple in the painting have left Copenhagen behind, and are on their way for a refreshing day out in the wide open. Judging by their appearance, they are probably students. The way the man’s hand leans on the woman’s shoulders indicates friendship and camaraderie. The painter clearly wants the viewer to feel a sense of openness and good cheer, judging by the sunny colours.
Technically, Henningsen’s ability as a painter is firmly on display. The man’s hand clenching the handlebar has been depicted very realistically, and a sense of movement is present in the painting throughout. Henningsen travelled throughout his career and visited Germany, Holland and France. One wonders whether his interest in painting people shown moving was gleaned from the work of French Impressionists.
Erik Henningsen was born in Copenhagen in 1855, where he also died in 1930. He received his formal training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where he enrolled in 1873. He earned a living as an illustrator as well as a painter and earned several medals. Today, his work can be seen in many of Denmark’s museums.
[1] Summum jus, summa injuria, 1886, oil on canvas, 78,5 x 117 cm, Inv. No. 154. The implication being that the law sometimes comes down hardest on those least able to defend themselves.
Out into the open, 1907
Lower right: Erik Henningsen/1907
oil on canvas
65,5 x 82,5 cm
Provenance
(Possibly) V Winkel & Magnussen, Copenhagen;Mrs A Bergenholtz, Hellerup;
Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen, 17 April 2007, lot 20
Exhibitions
Charlottenborg, "Foraarsudstillningen", 1908, cat.no. 195 (as "Morgenturen");(Possibly) V Winkel & Magnussen, Copenhagen, "materiel og Studier af Erik Henningsen", September 1909, cat.no. 15 (as "Ungdom");
Bergenholtz Kunsthandel, Copenhagen: "Malerier af Erik Henningsen og andre Malere", 6 - 18 October 1922, cat.no. 26 (as "Pa Cykletur");
Foreningen for national kunst, Charlottenborg: 'Erik Henningsen", 1930, cat.no. 51 *(as "Ungdom").
Palazzo Pallavicini, Bologna: "un Capolavoro di Giornata", 3 October 2026 to 17 January 2027.
In his native Denmark, Erik Henningsen’s oeuvre is represented in leading museums, as one of the leading 19th century practitioners of social realism.
Henningsen was concerned with the hand dealt to society’s lower orders and was fascinated by snippets of everyday life in the big city. Behind it all was an occasionally stentorian sense of social justice with accusatory undertones regarding the condition of the proletariat. This could lead to maudlin scenes, such as his most famous work – hanging in Copenhagen’s Hirschsprung Collection - showing a miserable wench, head bowed, flanked by police on an overcast moor digging for the shallow grave of the woman’s unwanted child. The implication seems to be that her terrible crime of infanticide was perhaps committed out of despair fuelled by grinding poverty [1]. But leaving occasionally tearful subject matter aside, Henningsen mostly wanted to be an excellent painter, and he experimented with different angles and colours to achieve optimal real-life detail.
Our painting shows the longing for freedom exemplified by young people seeking solace in the open countryside. The cycling couple in the painting have left Copenhagen behind, and are on their way for a refreshing day out in the wide open. Judging by their appearance, they are probably students. The way the man’s hand leans on the woman’s shoulders indicates friendship and camaraderie. The painter clearly wants the viewer to feel a sense of openness and good cheer, judging by the sunny colours.
Technically, Henningsen’s ability as a painter is firmly on display. The man’s hand clenching the handlebar has been depicted very realistically, and a sense of movement is present in the painting throughout. Henningsen travelled throughout his career and visited Germany, Holland and France. One wonders whether his interest in painting people shown moving was gleaned from the work of French Impressionists.
Erik Henningsen was born in Copenhagen in 1855, where he also died in 1930. He received his formal training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where he enrolled in 1873. He earned a living as an illustrator as well as a painter and earned several medals. Today, his work can be seen in many of Denmark’s museums.
[1] Summum jus, summa injuria, 1886, oil on canvas, 78,5 x 117 cm, Inv. No. 154. The implication being that the law sometimes comes down hardest on those least able to defend themselves.
Henningsen was concerned with the hand dealt to society’s lower orders and was fascinated by snippets of everyday life in the big city. Behind it all was an occasionally stentorian sense of social justice with accusatory undertones regarding the condition of the proletariat. This could lead to maudlin scenes, such as his most famous work – hanging in Copenhagen’s Hirschsprung Collection - showing a miserable wench, head bowed, flanked by police on an overcast moor digging for the shallow grave of the woman’s unwanted child. The implication seems to be that her terrible crime of infanticide was perhaps committed out of despair fuelled by grinding poverty [1]. But leaving occasionally tearful subject matter aside, Henningsen mostly wanted to be an excellent painter, and he experimented with different angles and colours to achieve optimal real-life detail.
Our painting shows the longing for freedom exemplified by young people seeking solace in the open countryside. The cycling couple in the painting have left Copenhagen behind, and are on their way for a refreshing day out in the wide open. Judging by their appearance, they are probably students. The way the man’s hand leans on the woman’s shoulders indicates friendship and camaraderie. The painter clearly wants the viewer to feel a sense of openness and good cheer, judging by the sunny colours.
Technically, Henningsen’s ability as a painter is firmly on display. The man’s hand clenching the handlebar has been depicted very realistically, and a sense of movement is present in the painting throughout. Henningsen travelled throughout his career and visited Germany, Holland and France. One wonders whether his interest in painting people shown moving was gleaned from the work of French Impressionists.
Erik Henningsen was born in Copenhagen in 1855, where he also died in 1930. He received his formal training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where he enrolled in 1873. He earned a living as an illustrator as well as a painter and earned several medals. Today, his work can be seen in many of Denmark’s museums.
[1] Summum jus, summa injuria, 1886, oil on canvas, 78,5 x 117 cm, Inv. No. 154. The implication being that the law sometimes comes down hardest on those least able to defend themselves.
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