A fine early 20th-century pastoral scene with a mean-looking bull and several grazing sheep. The artist, Rasmus Christiansen (1863-1940) was particularly skilled at painting animals and this is a good example of his work. We love the way he’s captured the muscular frame of the bull and the glower in its eyes.

Christiansen studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and also at the Artists' Study School under the gifted PS Krøyer (1851-1909) and Laurits Tuxen (1853-1927). He’s known to have worked with Tuxen on a portrait of Queen Victoria and also travelled to Berlin with the great Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916).

His works are quite varied and include city scenes, genre scenes, portraits and landscapes. During the early part of the 20th-century, he produced several pastoral scenes depicting the rural areas around Viborg, Denmark.

The painting is signed in the lower left.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 25” x 18” / 64cm x 45cm
Year of creation: c. 1920
Provenance: Denmark
Condition: Very presentable overall with no issues.
Artist’s auction highlight: £12,435 achieved for ‘Jysk Dragon I Fuld Fart!’ at auction in 2000.