Artwork
Orfeus opstegen fra Tartaros
Orfeus opstegen fra Tartaros is an oil painting by Constantin Hansen. It dates from 1845 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Completed in 1845, *Orfeus opstegen fra Tartaros* is an oil painting by Danish artist Constantin Hansen, a central figure of Denmark’s Golden Age of Painting. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst and presents a mythological scene drawn from the ancient tale of Orpheus.
Subject & Meaning
The composition portrays a nude male figure seated on a crag, his head bowed and his hand supporting his cheek, while he cradles a lyre. Beside him, a diminutive winged child reaches outward. The exhausted demeanor of both figures, combined with the lyre and the child’s wings, alludes to the legend of Orpheus’s descent into the underworld and his encounter with the spirit of Eurydice.
Technique & Style
Rendered in oil on canvas, Hansen employs a muted palette of earth tones to model the rugged stone backdrop and the figures’ flesh.
Rendered in oil on canvas, Hansen employs a muted palette of earth tones to model the rugged stone backdrop and the figures’ flesh. Strong chiaroscuro creates deep shadows that contrast with illuminated edges, emphasizing the tactile quality of the rock and the delicate rendering of the child’s wings. The brushwork balances precise anatomical detail with a slightly atmospheric treatment of the surrounding darkness.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Danish state and has remained in the Statens Museum for Kunst. Its acquisition reflects the 19th‑century Danish interest in building a national artistic identity through works that combined local scholarship with classical subject matter.
Context
Hansen studied under the influential art historian Niels Laurits Høyen, who advocated for a national art rooted in Denmark’s cultural heritage. Consequently, Hansen frequently turned to Norse and Greek myths, using them as vehicles to express contemporary ideas about identity and morality. This painting exemplifies that synthesis, merging a classical narrative with the Romantic sensibility of the Danish Golden Age.
Artist & collection
Artist
Carl Christian Constantin Hansen (Constantin Hansen) (3 November 1804 – 29 March 1880) was one of the painters associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting.
