A fine mid-19th-century depiction of two monks discussing the scriptures within a monastery. They’re sat before a beautiful mountainous landscape and a small distant village.
Another very similar piece was created by the Danish artist Christian Andreas Schleisner (1810-1882) so this could be a copy of that work. However, many of the elements in this painting are more detailed than Schleisner’s so I do wonder if ours is, in fact, the original.
We love the posture of the closest monk as he leans forward to make an important point to his ponderous colleague. Such an interesting piece.
Medium |
Oil on paper laid on board
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Size including frame |
16½” x 20½” / 42cm x 52cm
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Year of creation |
c. 1860
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Provenance |
Denmark
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Condition
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The painting was created on paper and it seems that it’s been saved at some point by attaching it to board. The original paper had torn around the edges and also in the middle but by attaching it, this is now stable. As you can see from the photos, there’s an undulant area in the middle due to the previous tear. The frame has various age-related scuffs.
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