This early 20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Viggo Pedersen (1854-1926) depicts a landscape with farm and pond.
Composed of a veritable patchwork of light effects, this rugged undulating view is both complex and masterful. Pedersen was an emotional artist and often channelled his mood through his work. He’s battled with this, applying a broad palette of tones, which compete and vie for attention. There’s beauty yet it’s atypical. Unusual, dark, perhaps melancholic even.
Pedersen was an important member of the Danish artistic community and worked tirelessly to evolve his style throughout his successful career. Over time, his brushwork became looser and more expressive, which brought him closer to the progressive European artists of his generation. In 1891, he co-founded Den Frie Udstilling (The Free Exhibition), established as a rebellion against the traditional views of the Danish Academy. Eminent contemporaries such as Vilhelm Hammershøi, Peder Severin Krøyer, Kristian Zahrtmann, Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh exhibited there.
Signed lower left and held within a gilt frame.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 42½” x 33½” / 108cm x 85cm
Year of creation: c. 1900
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Artwork presents well. Cleaned. Frame with some light wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £34,000
Viggo Pedersen trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he later became a member. His works are held in numerous public collections including museums in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Helsinki.
Learn more about Viggo Pedersen 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 often restore frames rather than replace them as many are original and selected by the artists themselves.
