Artwork
En kræsen rad
En kræsen rad is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Gustav Vermehren. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1897, En kræsen rad is an oil on canvas by Danish painter Gustav Vermehren. The work is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed among the museum’s 19th‑century holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on an elderly man seated on a simple stool, clutching a piece of bread. A dog, its back wrapped in a blue cloth, stands nearby, suggesting a quiet sharing of the morsel. The scene, illuminated by a dim, yellow‑toned light, conveys a subdued intimacy and a moment of modest generosity.
Technique & Style
Vermehren employs a restrained palette of muted earth tones, allowing the warm yellows of the wall and the subtle blues of the dog’s cloth to emerge. His brushwork renders the textured wooden floor and the soft folds of the man’s dark clothing with a gentle realism, while the overall lighting creates a calm, enveloping atmosphere.
History & Provenance
Since its completion in the late 19th century, the painting has remained in Denmark, eventually entering the national collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The museum acquired the work as part of its effort to preserve representative examples of domestic genre painting from the period.
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