Reinhold Timm (d. 1639, Danish painter, active from 1618)
Child portrait of Valdemar Christian (1622–1656), Count of Schleswig-Holstein. He wears a yellow leather vest and red trousers (the Oldenburg colours). His hair is cut in the newest hair fashion with long hair on the left side and shorter on the right side. On his left side on a table his black hat with a white feather. Inscribed at the bottom: “Prindtz Waldemar - Christian 4.s Søn - Føed [...].” (Prince Waldemar - Son of Christian IV - Born [...]). Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 114×81 cm.
According to tradition the painting dates from 1634, when Valdemar Christian was 12 years old and a pupil at Sorø Academy. He was the son of King Christian IV of Denmark and the Danish noblewoman Kirsten Munk (1598–1658), Christian IV's wife through a left-handed marriage. The King's family name was Oldenburg with a coat of arms in red and yellow. Prince Valdemar Christian is obviously dressed in his father's family colours.
Valdemar's Castle was constructed 1639–1644 by King Christian IV of Denmark, handed over to Valdemar Christian and named after him. He never got married and had no children. At his death in 1656, the castle went to his mother. She had bequeathed the castle to her daughter, Valdemar Christian's sister, Hedvig Ulfeldt. Niels Juel (1629–1697) acquired Valdemar's Castle in 1678 and became the first owner of the Juel family residence.
Literature: Francis Beckett in “Danske Slotte og Herregaarde”, vol. 2, 1923, mentioned p. 370 and reproduced p. 369. Erik Rasmussen in “Danske Slotte og Herregaarde”, vol. 3, 1943, mentioned p. 74 and reproduced p. 67. Dansk kunsthistorie vol. II, “Rigets mænd lader sig male 1500–1750”, mentioned and reproduced p. 159.
Provenance: Valdemar's Castle, Tåsinge. “The King's Room” (Inv. No. KS 25).
Reinhold Timm's early years and formal education remains undescribed. However a knowledgable understanding of the late renaissance and a mannerist influenced oeuvre suggests a stay in Italy and possibly at Fontainebleau, which since the mid-16th century was one of the centers of Italian mannerism and became a model for many European courts, including the Danish. In 1623 he was appointed drawing teacher at Sorø Academy, here undertaking the art of drawing, painting and fundamental architecture. He is regarded among the first Danish born artists to master large scale compositions. For the ambitious decoration of the Grand Room at Rosenborg he executed seven or eight compositions 1619–1631.
Correction 14 September 2022: The painting is not - as earlier described - cropped at the bottom.
Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.
Fine Art and Antiques from Valdemar's Castle, 21 September 2022