A late 19th-century interior scene depicting a woman pouring snaps for an older gentleman by Danish artist, Michael Therkildsen (1850-1925).

Snaps is a Danish word for a shot of strong alcohol usually taken with a meal and the painting is titled ‘En Snaps Til Far’, which translates as ‘A Snaps For Dad’. With this in mind, it’s interesting to consider whether this is the artist’s father, Therkild Nielsen, taking snaps at dinner.

Therkildsen was raised in an agricultural setting and spent his career studying the environment around him. He was particularly well-known for painting animals but also produced genre scenes and portraits.

He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he was awarded the Neuhausen Prize and also travelled to Paris.

The painting is signed/dated in the lower left and housed within its original frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 25½” x 21½” / 65cm x 55cm
Year of creation: 1893
Provenance: Denmark
Condition: Small amount of paint loss on the right edge where it meets the frame. Frame with some age-related wear.
Artist’s auction highlight: £9,000 achieved for ‘The Critic In The Artist's Studio’ at Christie's in 2016.