Artwork

Prins Buris, Liden Kirsten, Skøn Hulfrid og Stolt Ingefrid fanget af Ulf Svartskæg

Prins Buris, Liden Kirsten, Skøn Hulfrid og Stolt Ingefrid fanget af Ulf Svartskæg is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Th. Wegener. It dates from 1838 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. Created in 1838 by the Danish painter Th.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1838 by the Danish painter Th. Wegener, this oil on canvas is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work depicts a dramatic encounter among several figures gathered inside a dimly lit cavern, with a central female figure in a vivid red dress commanding attention.

Subject & Meaning

The scene presents a group of characters—Prince Buris, Liden Kirsten, the beautiful Hulfrid, and the proud Ingefrid—who appear to be captured by the outlaw Ulf Svartskæg. Their varied postures, from seated to standing, convey a tense narrative of captivity and confrontation within a mythic or historic setting.

Technique & Style

Wegener employs a strong chiaroscuro effect, contrasting the deep shadows of the cave with a narrow beam of light entering from the right. This illumination highlights the red dress and green sash of the central woman, while the surrounding figures recede into darkness, enhancing the composition’s dramatic intensity.

History & Provenance

Since its completion in the early nineteenth century, the painting has remained in Denmark, eventually entering the holdings of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s representation of Romantic-era narrative painting.