The young Henry Madsen is seen here in a quiet moment at the breakfast table. His gaze is turned inward rather than toward the empty cup in front of him, creating an atmosphere of contemplation. His slender right hand rests relaxed in his lap, while the left is hidden beneath the light-colored suit jacket. The pink shirt with a white collar and the bright blue tie give him a fresh, modern appearance. Henry Madsen (1881–1921) was a journalist, art historian, and Egyptologist, and he grew up in an artistically oriented family. He was a well-known figure in the cultural life of his time and was already portrayed by Vilhelm Hammershøi in 1904. In this portrait he is 34 years old, and the depiction captures him in a moment marked by calm, presence, and reflection.

Olaf Rude (1886–1957) was educated at the Artists' Free Study Schools in 1907–08 and was a central figure in the Danish art scene in the early part of the 20th century. He co-founded the artists' association “De 13” in 1909 and later Grønningen in 1915. A stay in Paris in 1911 had decisive importance for his development, where especially his encounter with Cézanne’s compositional approach became an important inspiration. During the First World War, he further became acquainted with Picasso’s works through the Tetzen-Lund collection, which strengthened his work with a decorative, surface-oriented Cubism that approached the abstract. From around 1919, Rude moved away from experimental Cubism and turned toward subject matter characterized by landscape studies and portraits. In particular, the landscapes from Bornholm came to play a significant role in his later production, where color, rhythm, and form form the structural foundation of the image.

Illustrated in “Olaf Rude. Retrospective”, exhibition catalogue from Bornholm Art Museum 2005, p. 57, fig. 21.