An early 20th-century oil on canvas depicting a camp on a Summer’s day at Tibirke, Denmark. It’s a celebration of creativity and captures an exciting moment for the area.

Tibirke is a picturesque coastal town located around 60km north of Copenhagen. The sands here stretch on for over 2km and it’s known for its hilltop views and peaceful surroundings.

During the early 1900s, a mixture of artists, writers and affluent citizens came together to build a community in the hills. Many of the summer houses were designed by the leading architects of the day and the area became well known regionally.

In 1917, Julius Paulsen (1860-1940) painted this colourful view of a summer camp at Tibirke during the fledgeling days of the community. It must’ve been such an exciting time for the painter and he captures this through his use of colour and animated brushwork.

Paulsen was 57 when he visited and would’ve known many of the creative types that were drawn to the area. During this time he also was working as a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Many of Paulsen’s works are held in Danish museums and his portrait of P.S. Krøyer hangs in the Museum of National History in Frederiksborg Palace.

The painting is housed within a worn frame that’s probably the original and signed/dated in the lower left.