Artwork
The Temple of Athena in Paestum
The Temple of Athena in Paestum is an oil painting by Constantin Hansen. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
The Temple of Athena in Paestum is an 1838 oil painting by Constantin Hansen, a prominent artist of the Danish Golden Age.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the ancient Greek Temple of Athena in Paestum, showing its state of ruin with broken columns and vegetation growing from cracks, set against a blue sky in a grassy, rocky landscape.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint, the work is characterized by its detailed rendering of the temple's architecture and its surroundings.
History & Provenance
Created under the influence of art historian Niels Laurits Høyen, who promoted a national historical approach to art, the painting is now held in the Statens Museum for Kunst.
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.
