Artwork
To ynglinge med en hund
To ynglinge med en hund is an oil painting by Christian August Lorentzen. It dates from 1799 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Christian August Lorentzen’s 1799 oil painting “To ynglinge med en hund” presents an intimate domestic scene. Executed in oil on canvas, the work is part of the collection of Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst. The composition centers on a woman and a young boy seated together in a dimly lit interior, accompanied by a small dog.
Subject & Meaning
He holds an open book on his lap, its interior page showing a faint illustration that may be a map or portrait.
The figures are rendered in close proximity: the woman in a dark, high‑necked dress with ruffled cuffs, and the boy, whose curly hair frames his face, wearing a light jacket with decorative ruffles. He holds an open book on his lap, its interior page showing a faint illustration that may be a map or portrait. The dog rests beside the child, gazing downward, reinforcing the quiet, contemplative atmosphere.
Technique & Style
Lorentzen employs a chiaroscuro effect, allowing the light to strike the faces and the book while the surrounding space recedes into shadow. This contrast heightens the three‑dimensionality of the figures and draws attention to the act of reading, suggesting an educational or moral undertone common in late‑eighteenth‑century genre painting.
History & Provenance
Created in 1799, the painting entered the holdings of the Statens Museum for Kunst, Denmark’s national gallery, where it remains on display. Its provenance traces back to the artist’s late career, a period marked by a focus on domestic subjects and the depiction of everyday life.
Artist & collection
Artist
Christian August Lorentzen (1749–1828) was an artist, born in Sønderborg.
