This charming mid-19th-century oil painting by Danish artist Anton Eduard Kieldrup (1827-1869) depicts a smallholding with two cottages and figures amid a verdant summer landscape. 

Dabs of white flora jostle for position, illuminated by abundant sunlight, while a homespun picket fence, shaded deftly, splits the composition. To the left, the eye roams across illuminated pasture before pausing on a tinted wood. It’s a display of nature’s opulence, a utopian vignette for an industrialised age.

Hailing from Haderslev in southern Denmark, Kieldrup was born into an affluent family of high achievers and local dignitaries. Given this, it’s conceivable that he developed an interest in art from an early age, inspired by the collections of his relatives. At the time, Denmark was experiencing a period of exceptional creative production and the finest artists were highly sought after. His father was a sea captain and merchant who probably furnished his son with captivating tales of the ocean. These early experiences often shape the imagination and foster creative interests.

He undertook his initial education at a local painting school before enrolling at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Here, at Denmark’s leading art institution, he was compelled to study the masters and hone his draughtsmanship - with drawing a key tenet of a successful career. As such, he would’ve spent countless hours sketching. During his time at the Academy, the engraver Heinrich Tronier (1810-1892), to whom he was related, also became a key figure in his development.

In 1848, he undertook an extended sojourn to experience the peaks and epic fjords of Norway. It was a productive trip, which resulted in his earliest works of note, and the following year, he debuted at the prestigious Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition with two Norwegian landscapes.

With his career gaining momentum, he continued to exhibit annually at Charlottenborg, producing several standout pieces, such as his ‘View of the Cliffs of Mon’ in 1854. Underpinning each of his finer displays was an acute appreciation of the effects of sunlight - a sensitivity for the beauty of chiaroscuro. The crags and ample solidity of coastal rocks are given a heroic quality via the bold application of light versus shade. Near brilliant white juxtaposed with dark tones.

In 1857, he married Ingeborg Hedvig Marie Simonsen, the daughter of a patron, and the two travelled extensively together. Over the following two years, they journeyed to Munich, Salzburg and Tyrol, three destinations with enchanting scenery. The mountains were evidently at the forefront of the artist’s mind, and one is reminded of the earlier ‘Romantics’ and their enchanting descriptions of nature’s wildest sublimity.

Indeed, Kieldrup gained a great deal of inspiration from his travels and the grandeur of German art is particularly prevalent in his works from this period. Today, we view this as a positive contribution to his suite of influences, but at the time, Danish critics were less favourable. Denmark was enduring a turbulent time of conflict, which led to a greater sense of national pride and identity. Artists who painted in a ‘Danish’ style were generally favoured by the press.

In 1863, he travelled once again, visiting the Moselle, Switzerland and Paris. But, perhaps due to the combination of health issues and a growing family, it was to be his last overseas study trip. From this point on, he worked locally, capturing views of Denmark’s decorous heather-clad moors, abundant forests and sweeping coastal vistas - selecting compositions and weather effects to amplify the sophistication of nature.

He’s represented at the Statens Museum for Kunst, Bornholms Kunstmuseum and The Hirschsprung Collection.

Monogrammed in the lower right and held in a later frame.

Learn more about Anton Eduard Kieldrup in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 22½” x 17” / 57cm x 43cm
Year of creation: c. 1860
Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed somewhat illegibly on the reverse.
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Craquelure throughout. The paint layer is stable. Frame in excellent condition. 
Artist’s auction maximum: £16,044 for ‘View of the Cliffs of Mon’, Oil on canvas, Fine Art & antiques, Copenhagen, Denmark, 29 November 2016 (lot 40).
Our reference: BRV2104