This late 19th-century oil painting by Danish artist Rudolph Bisson (1846-1911) depicts a forest landscape with fisherman.
A gentle breeze catches the tall leaning reeds, which pepper the shimmering river. Their reflections captured with a delicacy of touch and a love of Danish nature. A lone fisherman stands, perhaps fly fishing - while beyond him, a thicket of trees marks the entrance to a forest.
Bissen’s naturalistic style emerged following the collision of two approaches. Firstly, the fine romantic vistas of his mentor P C Skovgaard (1817-1875), one of the most influential Danish painters of all time, and secondly the looser brushwork of the French plein air painters. One of his close friends, Thorvald Niss (1842-1905), was a keen advocate of the latter.
This work was exhibited at the illustrious Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition and bears a label on the reverse.
Signed/dated in the lower right and held within a gilt frame with foliate.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 47” x 40½” / 119cm x 103cm
Year of creation: 1897
Labels & Inscriptions: Bears an exhibition label on the reverse.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Fine craquelure but the paint is stable. Canvas relined. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £7,452
Rudolf Bissen trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. He exhibited regularly at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition. His works are held in numerous public collections including at the Musée d'Orsay in Paris.
Learn more about Rudolf Bissen in our directory.
We care profoundly about our role as custodians and every piece in the collection has been assessed by our conservator. When required, we undertake professional restoration carefully using reversible techniques and adopt a light touch to retain the aged charm of each work. We also restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.
