Portrait Of Käthe Holm Née Ahlefeldt

Portrait Of Käthe Holm Née Ahlefeldt

A fine mid-19th-century portrait of Käthe Holm Née Ahlefeldt wearing a green dress, necklace, bracelet and rings.

It’s interesting to note that she’s wearing rings on either side of her fourth finger as this highlights the fact she’s unmarried. So, with this in mind, we can assume that when this was painted her surname was Ahlefeldt.

The surname Ahlefeldt has its origins in German and Danish nobility with the earliest known ancestor being Benedict von Ahlefeldt. During the 14th-century, Benedict’s sons served King Atterdag Valdemar IV of Denmark, so there are ancient links with Danish royalty.

We acquired the painting from Denmark but on the reverse, the inscriptions are written in German. It would appear that Käthe Ahlefeldt became Käthe Holm at some point - so perhaps this portrait helped to attract the right suitor.

There’s also a reference to an artist with the name ‘Lind’ but we’ve been unable to discover exactly who painted it.

The portrait is housed within a simple giltwood frame.

Medium
Oil on canvas
Size including frame
12½” x 15⅔” / 32cm x 40cm
Year of creation
c. 1860
Provenance
Denmark
Condition
Very good with light craquelure throughout. Canvas relined. Frame with age-related wear.

Conservation & History

We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.

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