This early 20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Gustav Vermehren (1863-1931) depicts an elderly man nodding off within a rustic cottage interior.
It’s 1926, Vermehren is 63, seemingly oblivious to the rapid pace of the emerging modern world. The jazz age, art deco, Parisian society, Expressionism, Matisse, Picasso, Cubism, Surrealism - acknowledged yet disregarded. He was a devout traditionalist, painting the people and places of a land he treasured in a natural and honest manner.
His father, Frederik, shared his ideals and taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Stuck in his ways, he was entrenched in the old masters and keen to work in their image.
Vermehren’s steady pragmatism echoed his view of the world and he surrounded himself with like-minded friends. His Denmark was unchanging, built from stone and toil, borne from the endeavours of his field-working ancestors.
He rarely, if ever, painted the city, preferring the humble interiors of the working classes. Comfortable in his own skin and drifting peacefully off within his walled imagination.
Signed/dated and held within a gilt frame.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 21½” x 18½” / 54cm x 47cm
Year of creation: 1926
Labels & Inscriptions: Copenhagen framer’s label on reverse - “L. Noch Ramme og forgylderforretning Pilestræde København”.
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £10,900.
Gustav Vermehren
Gustav Vermehren was an eminent Danish painter of landscapes, interior scenes, portraits and figures. He was trained initially by his father, Frederik Vermehren, and later at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. His works convey a conservative view of Danish rural life and are naturalistic in their approach. He’s represented in various public collections.
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