Artwork
Sjællandske høstpiger ved en brønd
Sjællandske høstpiger ved en brønd is an oil painting by the Realist artist Jørgen Roed. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Jørgen Roed’s oil painting *Sjællandske høstpiger ved en brønd* dates from roughly 1850. Executed in the realist idiom of Denmark’s Golden Age, it portrays a small group of rural women from the island of Zealand gathered around a well. The work is part of the permanent collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures harvest girls in a moment of everyday labor: one pours water from a bucket, another washes her hands, while the others stand nearby. Their traditional costumes, bright skirts and headscarves, emphasize regional identity, and the tranquil atmosphere suggests a quiet, communal pause within the agricultural cycle.
Technique & Style
Roed employs a restrained palette of warm earth tones, softened by diffused light that models the figures with subtle chiaroscuro. Careful brushwork renders the textures of fabric and stone, while the background—featuring a horse and cart—recedes through atmospheric perspective, giving the composition depth and a sense of three‑dimensional space.
History & Provenance
Born in Ringsted in 1808, Roed was a prominent portrait and genre painter of the Danish Golden Age. After its creation, the painting entered the holdings of Denmark’s national gallery, where it remains on display. Its provenance reflects the museum’s commitment to preserving works that illustrate 19th‑century Danish rural life.
Context
The work aligns with mid‑19th‑century realist tendencies that favored truthful depictions of ordinary people and their environments. By focusing on Zealand’s harvest girls, Roed contributes to a broader national narrative that celebrated regional customs and the dignity of labor during a period of rapid social and economic change in Denmark.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jørgen Roed (13 January 1808 – 8 August 1888), Danish portrait and genre painter associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting, was born in Ringsted to Peder Jørgensen Roed and wife, Ellen Hansdatter.
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Sjællandske høstpiger ved en brønd