A fine early 20th-century Danish genre scene depicting an older lady sitting at a spinning wheel. There’s a refined beauty to this gentle painting and it captures an everyday moment from 1907.

Sophus Vermehren (1866-1950) was born into a creative family and destined to become an artist. His father, Frederik (1823-1910) was an accomplished painter - well admired for his idealised rural scenes. As a child, Sophus was taught to draw by his father which surely provided the catalyst for his training at the Academy of Fine Arts.

Throughout his career, Sophus continued to work in a style akin to his father’s teaching. Many of his paintings depict humble interiors and families that live off the land. However, in contrast to his father, Sophus also chose to paint bourgeois families within opulent settings. Perhaps by doing so, this provided access to wealthy patrons and better commissions.

The painting is signed/dated in the lower right and held within a period gilt frame.

Medium: Oil on canvas laid on board
Overall size: 22” x 24” / 54cm x 61cm
Year of creation: 1907
Provenance: Denmark
Condition: Very good. Frame with some age-related wear and chips.
Artist’s auction highlight: £16,532 achieved for ‘A young student shows a young girl the antique collection at the National Gallery of Denmark’ at an auction in 2019 in Denmark.