A fine 19th-century Danish oil on wood depicting a scene from a barber’s shop. The artist, Niels Frederik Schiøttz-Jensen (1855-1941) has exquisitely captured every detail.

Note how the light falls across the three figures to create a diagonal through the composition. The barber, young man and girl are lit with strong contrast akin to chiaroscuro as the boy turns to talk with his sibling.

Behind the figures, the room is rustic with the walls barely painted a light shade of blue. A birdcage is partially covered with a calendar hanging below it.

This majestic interior scene was created by Danish Golden Age painter, Niels Frederik Schiøttz-Jensen (1855-1941). He had a skill for romanticising everyday fleeting moments that would otherwise pass us by.

Schiøttz-Jensen studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen and later in Paris at the Académie Colarossi. His work was widely exhibited during his lifetime and he was awarded the Academy Art Prize twice along with the first-class annual medal in 1895.

The painting is signed/dated in the lower left and housed within a handsome gilded frame with decorative borders.

Medium: Oil on panel
Overall size: 19½” x 23” / 50cm x 59cm
Year of creation: 1881
Provenance: Denmark
Condition: Areas of craquelure and one minor paint loss on the right. Frame with age-related wear.
Artist’s auction highlight: £31,000 achieved for ‘Lady Reading’ (46cm x 63cm) at Sotheby’s in 2004.