Thorald Læssøe (b. Frederikshavn 1816, d. Copenhagen 1878)
“Kong Georgs Villa paa Korfu”. King George's Villa on Corfu. The villa is also called Mon Repos. Later inscribed with monogram. Oil on canvas. 40×61 cm.
The White Villa was built in 1828–1831 as the summer residence of the British High Commissioner to the United States of the Ionian Islands, Frederick Adam (1784–1853), and his second wife. However, they had to leave the villa soon after, already in 1832, when Adam was sent off to serve in India. The villa was then only rarely used as a residence for the later British governors. In 1833, it was set up as an art school, while the park was opened to the public in 1834. After Corfu became part of the Kingdom of Greece in 1864, the villa was given as a gift to King George I of Greece (1845–1913) as a summer residence. He named it Mon Repos (French: my retreat). The Greek royal family used the villa as a residence until King Constantine II (1940–2023) and Queen Anne Marie (1946-) left the country and went into exile in 1967. The main building is today used as an archaeological museum.
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art Aalborg owns a painting from Corfu painted by Læssøe dated 1876 (Inv. No. 147). The present painting is presumable from the same period.
Provenance: First section of Thorald Læssøe's estate auction 1878 no. 13. No. 12 in the sale was also painted during Læssøe's stay on the island, that one with the title “Bugt på Korfu med to Klostre. I Forgrunden Olietræer” (Bay on Corfu with two monasteries. In the foreground oil trees).
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.
Paintings and drawings, 6 December 2023