This early 20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Carl Martin Soya-Jensen (1860-1912) depicts a street in Ribe, Denmark, with the iconic cathedral towering above it. Soya-Jensen was an accomplished painter of landscapes, street scenes and architecture. The cathedral is celebrated as the best preserved Romanesque building in Denmark.
Between 1905 and 1906, Soya-Jensen produced numerous studies of this ancient city, which is situated on the west coast of southern Jutland. Ribe Kunstmuseum holds four of the artist’s views from this period including a depiction of St. Catherine's Priory, which appears to use a near-identical palette. The painting is also shown in a studio photograph.
Born in the city of Odense, Soya-Jensen was an astute child with interests in both philosophy and physics. It’s conceivable that he could’ve pursued a scientific career, yet opted instead for artistic pursuits. Watercolour was initially his medium of choice and he trained under the tutelage of Niels Bredal (1841-1888), known for his precise architectural renderings. The pair evidently had an affinity for the technical side of draughtsmanship, as Bredal’s clinical eye inspired the young artist significantly.
In 1884, Soya-Jensen debuted at the renowned Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, and a year later pursued further tuition at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He was now furnished with the skills required to work at the highest echelons.
Upon returning to the Danish capital, he was hired by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts as a teacher of watercolours - a position he held for 18 years. During his time there, he trained numerous students including several members of the Royal Family (Maria Feodorovna, Queen Aleksandra, Princess Marie, Princess Louise, Princess Ingeborg and Princess Thyra). This cemented him into the clique of academia and he became an important voice, also elected as the chairman of the Artists' Association.
During the early 20th century, for reasons unknown, he turned increasingly to oil painting - and did so with equal dexterity. Retaining his penchant for details, he produced numerous city views and landscapes - each cleverly composed, often with a distinct vanishing point. These works are successful not only for their aesthetic appeal but also for their mathematical accuracy.
He visited various provinces in search of inspiration and spent a considerable amount of time in Ribe. Here, he frequently crossed paths with other artists such as Johan Rohde (1856-1935) and Laurits Tuxen CVO (1853-1927). It was a close-knit circle and he’s referred to in one of Rohde’s letters - described, somewhat lightheartedly, as painting the entire town, inside and out.
Aside from Denmark, he travelled extensively overseas, pitching his easel in Germany, particularly Munich, Holland, Belgium, France and Italy. He also undertook study trips to Rapallo on the Italian Riviera and Genoa.
His friend, Peder Mønsted, produced a portrait in around 1910, which captures him with his palette and brushes. His life was sadly cut short a few years later.
Carl Martin Soya-Jensen was an artist with an inquiring mind. One who approached a view with an analytical disposition, keen to represent nature accurately. His compositions were often deliberately challenging and, as such, pleasing on the eye when rendered skillfully. He’s represented in numerous public collections including at the Statens Museum for Kunst, Aarhus Art Museum and Ribe Art Museum. The author and dramatist, Carl Erik Soya (1896-1983), was his son.
Signed in the lower left and held in a gilt frame, which could be original.
Learn more about Carl Martin Soya-Jensen in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 22½” x 28½” / 57cm x 72cm
Year of creation: c. 1906
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Cleaned. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Artist’s auction maximum: £2,619 for ‘Börnehusbroen, Kristianshavn’, Oil on canvas, Copenhagen, 5 March 1998 (lot 420).
Our reference: BRV2073
