This early 20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Valdemar Irminger (1850-1938) depicts a pensive couple within a dimly-lit interior. Irminger was a celebrated painter of genre scenes, portraits and religious subjects.
Looking down in contemplation, their forms barely perceptible, the atmosphere is one of tension and introspection. His collar, illuminated by a flame, stands out above all else. They hold hands, but who are they?
Born in Copenhagen to Johan Heinrich Georg Irminger, a colonel in the army, Irminger’s early aptitude for figure drawing was evident in the sketches he produced depicting soldiers. One can imagine the young aspirant handing over his finished works to his father’s associates, perhaps even for a fee.
At the age of 16, such was his potential, that he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he became inspired by the works of Danish realist painter, Otto Bache (1839-1927) - particularly his scrupulous portrayals of animals. As such, Irminger began his career predominantly known as an animal painter. Both artists were skilled draughtsmen and it was their drawing ability that underpinned their success.
In 1875, Irminger debuted at the prestigious Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition where he soon fell into favour with the hanging committee. Four years later, he was awarded the Neuhausen Prize, and cemented himself as an artist of note. Around this time, he shifted his focus back towards the military, producing numerous works, both scenes and portraits.
Over the next eight years, he undertook a variety of study trips to European destinations including Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the bright lights and buzzing ateliers of Paris. This smorgasbord of stimuli evidently enriched his spirit as he was subsequently awarded two medals towards the end of the 1880s.
It was from this point on that he established a reputation for genre painting - often capturing innocuous moments of everyday life and elevating them with a sense of poignancy. In ‘The Children Say Goodnight To Their Stars’ from 1898, two sisters, together with their mother, undergo a bedtime ritual. It’s a charming moment captured with sensitivity amid gently flickering candlelight. It’s in the collection at the Statens Museum for Art.
When into his 50s, Irmigner took a teaching role at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts’ school for women and became a professor in 1908. Alongside this, for three years, he also served on the Charlottenborg Exhibition Committee. He was knighted with the Order of the Dannebrog in 1915 and decorated with the Cross of Honour ten years later.
Valdemar Irminger’s sincere renderings captivate the imagination and draw us into passing moments of human interaction. Via his candid observations, one gets the sense of an outsider looking in - an introvert seeking to understand the world around him.
He’s represented in numerous public collections including at the Hirschsprung Collection, Ribe Kunstmuseum, Skagens Museum, and the Statens Museum for Kunst.
Inscribed on the reverse and held in a gilt frame, which is probably original.
Learn more about Valdemar Irminger in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 19½” x 17” / 49m x 43cm
Year of creation: c. 1910
Labels & Inscriptions: Inscribed with ‘Professor Irminger’ on the reverse / Supplier’s label from Rudolf Olsen, Copenhagen.
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Cleaned. Areas of fine and settled craquelure, as you would expect. The paint layer is stable. Frame with various marks and showing its age.
Artist’s auction maximum: £4,500 for ‘The Best of Friends (1873)’, Oil on canvas, Christie’s, Sporting Art - Dogs And Cats, London, 18 Dec 1997 (lot 132).
Our reference: BRV2018
