This mid-20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Sophus Vermehren (1866-1950) depicts a grandmother reading to her granddaughter, who is convalescing. It’s a sensitive portrayal, which captures a gentle family moment.

Sophus Vermehren was an award-winning academy-trained painter predominantly known for genre scenes and interiors. He often selected narratives which emphasised the love for one’s children.

His father was the eminent Golden Age painter, Frederik Vermehren (1823-1910), and his brother, Gustav Vermehren (1863-1931), was also an accomplished artist. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and exhibited regularly at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition.

She's transfixed by each turn of the page.

Signed/dated lower left and held within a gilt frame.

Learn more about Sophus Vermehren in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 31½” x 28” / 80cm x 72cm
Year of creation: 1940
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £16,532
Our reference: BRV1755