Artwork
Et glas med forårsblomster
Et glas med forårsblomster is an oil painting by the Realist artist Hanne Hellesen. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1840, *Et glas med forårsblomster* is an oil painting by Danish artist Hanne Hellesen. Executed as a still‑life, the work presents a glass vase filled with a spring bouquet, rendered with the clear, observational approach typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century realism. It belongs to the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a transparent vase brimming with a mixture of white, pink, red and purple blossoms, surrounded by green foliage. Additional flowers lie scattered on the tabletop, emphasizing the fleeting beauty of seasonal growth and the intimate domestic setting often associated with floral still‑lifes.
Technique & Style
Hellesen applies oil paint in thin, layered strokes that capture the delicate translucency of glass and the subtle variations of petal colour. The handling reflects the influence of her mentor Johan Laurentz Jensen, combining meticulous detail with a restrained palette that foregrounds naturalistic representation over decorative excess.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the Danish Royal Collection, a testament to Hellesen’s reputation as a leading flower painter of her era. It later transferred to the national collection, where it remains on view at the Statens Museum for Kunst, illustrating the artist’s lasting institutional recognition.
Context
Hellesen worked at a time when few women achieved prominence in the Danish art world. Trained privately under the noted floral specialist Jensen, she carved a niche within the realism movement, focusing on botanical subjects that appealed to both private patrons and the royal court.
Artist & collection
Artist
Johanne (Hanne) Hellesen (1801–1844) was a Danish painter who was trained privately under Johan Laurentz Jensen as women had not yet been admitted to the Royal Danish Academy.
