Artwork
En episode af søslaget i Køge Bugt 1677
En episode af søslaget i Køge Bugt 1677 is an oil painting by Anton Melbye. It dates from 1855 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Anton Melbye’s 1855 oil painting, *En episode af søslaget i Køge Bugt 1677*, captures a moment from the 1677 naval engagement in Køge Bay. The canvas is dominated by a chaotic sea battle, with several warships locked in combat, smoke billowing and flames licking the rigging. A small boat crowded with figures drifts in the foreground, underscoring the human scale amid the larger conflict.
Subject & Meaning
The work visualises a specific episode of the 1677 Danish–Swedish confrontation, emphasizing the ferocity of 17th‑century naval warfare. By foregrounding a modest boat amid the larger vessels, Melbye highlights both the collective drama of the fleet and the individual peril faced by sailors, suggesting a narrative of bravery and vulnerability within the broader sweep of military history.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting employs a muted palette punctuated by bright reds and oranges to convey fire and smoke.
Executed in oil, the painting employs a muted palette punctuated by bright reds and oranges to convey fire and smoke. Melbye’s handling of light creates a stark contrast between the illuminated flags of the central ship and the surrounding gloom, while his precise brushwork renders the rigging and hulls with a realistic attention to maritime detail characteristic of mid‑19th‑century Danish marine art.
History & Provenance
Anton Melbye, a noted Danish marine painter and photographer, produced the canvas during a period when he was establishing his reputation for seascapes. The painting entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, Denmark’s national gallery, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings, representing both the artist’s oeuvre and the nation’s visual record of historic naval battles.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Daniel Herman Anton Melbye (13 February 1818 – 10 January 1875) was a Danish painter and photographer who specialised in marine art. He was the brother of fellow painters Vilhelm and Fritz Melbye.
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