900/​31

P. S. Krøyer (b. Stavanger 1851, d. Skagen 1909)

“Ved kaminilden”. Mrs Henny Brodersen by the fireplace. Signed and dated S. K. Skagen Nvbr. 1906, and dedicated 'Til Henny fra Søren' (To Henny from Søren). Oil on canvas. 61×51 cm.

H. Chr. Christensen, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of P. S. Krøyer no. 751.

Exhibited: Charlottenborg 1907 no. 260. Kunstforeningen, “P. S. Krøyer 1851–1909”, 1910 no. 318.

Literature: Alba Schwartz, “Skagen, Den Nye Tid i Oplevelser og Indtryk”, 1913, vol. II, p. 186.

Provenance: Henny Brodersen (1910). Merchant and shipowner Peter de Nully Brown (1923).

When Marie left Krøyer, he turned his affection towards Henny Brodersen instead. She was married to town treasurer Hans Brodersen and took care of Marie and P. S. Krøyer's daughter Vibeke during the turbulent years when Marie fell in love with the Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén, and Henny also took care of Krøyer in his final years. Krøyer's fascination with Henny Brodersen thus remained unshakable to the last and at one of his final exhibitions he exhibited 15 portraits of her. In this very late work, their close relationship is emphasized by the highly intimate and confidential scene, where Henny sits combing her long loose hair in front of the fireplace in Krøyer's house in Skagen. In the background next to the fireplace is a small oval silhouette portrait of Krøyer, and the two 'lovers', Henny and Søren, are thus united in the work itself.

A very similar composition can be seen in Krøyer's famous portrait of Drachmann from 1903–1907 (Skagen's Museums Inv. No. 1710). Here Drachmann sits with a red fez in front of the fireplace in Villa Pax and with a lot of his own paintings on the background wall.

Additional Remarks

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.

Auction

Paintings, furniture, carpets, decorative arts and books, 8 March 2021

Category
Estimate

600,000–800,000 DKK

Sold

Price realised

850,000 DKK