Danish Golden Age Art in High Demand

PRESS RELEASE 30 September 2015
Danish Golden Age Art in High Demand
- International Auction 24 November 2015
Bruun Rasmussen is currently experiencing great international
demand for artwork from the Danish Golden Age, and therefore
we focus on this period at the upcoming international auction in
Copenhagen on 24 November.
"When we open the doors for the final international auction of
the year, we turn our eyes to the most well-known and
significant names of the Danish Golden Age such as C.W.
Eckersberg, Martinus Rørbye, Christen Købke, Constantin Hansen,
J.Th. Lundbye, etc. At the same auction we are also auctioning
off paintings by the world famous Danish symbolist Vilhelm
Hammershøi, who is represented with portraits as well as
landscapes, "says Martin Hans Borg, Head of Bruun Rasmussen's
department of fine art.
The Breakthrough of the Danish Golden Age of Art
Today the artwork of the Danish Golden Age period is
represented in art museums and private collections all over the
world. The period is set to become even more topical during the
autumn here in Copenhagen, where the National Gallery of
Denmark will present a major exhibition on Eckersberg (1783-1853). He is not only considered the father
of Danish painting but also the main artist within the Danish Golden Age of Art (1800-1850), which is
considered one of the most important periods in Danish art and culture.
Art, literature, music, ballet and architecture flourished, despite the concurrent Napoleonic Wars, which
resulted in national bankruptcy and the loss of Norway for Denmark. Eckersberg set the course for a whole
generation of artists with his richly detailed
depictions of people, landscapes, seascapes
and mythological scenes. He was driven by
exquisite perfection, expressed through an
unsurpassed technical talent. With the artist's
sharp perspective on reality, a new standard
for artistic painting in Denmark had
irrevocably been set.
Eckersberg was a pioneer in many areas. He
was the first Danish artist to depict naked
female models in his studio, and Eckersberg
also led the Danish painters out into the
open, where he sought to capture the life of
the city and the countryside directly on the
canvas. He went on his first Grand Tour of
southern Europe in 1810, and in this way
Eckersberg was also a pioneer, since many of
the Danish Golden Age artists later followed in his footsteps.
The Symbolist Painter Vilhelm Hammershøi
When one mentions the artist Vilhelm Hammershøi (18641916), most people probably think of his sparsely furnished
interior images in grey tones. His motives, however, also
revolve around family, landscapes and Copenhagen’s
architecture. They are depicted in soft colours dominated by
grey, but they also include blue, green, pink and black tones.
At the auction we are selling paintings that illustrate this
eclectic use of motives by Hammershøi, including a portrait of
his wife Ida and a peculiar landscape north of Copenhagen.
International Auction in Copenhagen
The year’s final international auction in Copenhagen will offer
art, antiques, design, jewellery and wristwatches. In addition
to the Danish Golden Age of Art and the world famous
Danish symbolist Vilhelm Hammershøi, we also focus on
Oriental and Russian art. In the department of modern art
and design, this will include an emphasis on the silver work of
Georg Jensen in honour of the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers, Bredgade 33, DK-1260 Copenhagen
Preview: 19-23 November
Auction: 24 November – 3 December
Press photos (© Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers)
C. W. Eckersberg: "En qvindelig Figur, som staar ved en Seng, reder sit Haar" (Woman standing at a
bed, combing her hair). 28.5 x 18.5. Estimate: DKK 600,000 to 800,000 (€ 80,000 to 100,000).
Martinus Rørbye: "Vindenes Taarn i Athen. Figurerne i Costume fra forskiellige Egne af Grækenland"
(The Tower of the Winds in Athens. The figures in folk costumes are from different areas of Greece). Sign.
M. Rørbye 1839. Oil on canvas. 60 x 80 Estimate: DKK 2-3 million (€ 270,000 to 400,000).
Vilhelm Hammershøi: Portrait of the artist's wife, Ida, born Ilsted. Sign. VH and certified on the back.
Painted by V. Hammershøi, certified by Ida Hammershøi. Oil on canvas. 40 x 32 Estimate: DKK 1-1.5
million (€ 135,000 to 200,000).
Contact information
For further information, please contact Martin Hans Borg on Tel. +45 8818 1128 / email: [email protected].
Best regards
Eva Helsted
Press Manager, MA.
Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers
Sundkrogsgade 30 · DK-2150 Nordhavn
Tel: +45 8818 1072
http://www.bruun-rasmussen.dk