This mid-20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Harry Kluge (1879-1963) depicts a windmill in a river landscape. Kluge was an accomplished painter of maritime scenes and buildings.

Dormant and architecturally enchanting, it stands like an imperious spectre. From our lowly viewpoint, we’re looking up towards its towering presence. The angles have been carefully studied with the addition of a distant sunlit building to enhance the sense of perspective.

Kluge had a fascination for unlikely beauty. Primarily known as a maritime painter, in his ‘spare time’, he tracked down interesting old structures and dilapidated back streets. His canny brushwork emphasised the diverse nature of the textures he encountered - worn timber has never been so captivating. 

When in these solitary moments, tucked away from sight, he painted little else but architecture. There’s never a soul present, just the artist, the environment, and his tireless ambition to capture it all.

Alongside his works in oil, he was employed as an underglaze painter in the workshop at Bing & Grøndahl, the porcelain manufacturer.

Signed/dated in the lower right and held within a later frame.

Learn more about Harry Kluge in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 39½” x 27½” / 100cm x 70cm
Year of creation: 1934 
Labels & Inscriptions: Copenhagen supplier's label.
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Cleaned. Frame in excellent condition.
Artist’s auction maximum: £6,156 for ‘Den kejserliga yachten, The Polar Star, i Köpenhamns hamn (1912)’, Oil on canvas, Stockholm, Sweden, 2015.
Our reference: BRV1953