C. A. Jensen (b. Bredsted near Husum 1792, d. Copenhagen 1870)
Purchased by “Nivaagaards Malerisamling” in February 2019.
Hans and Bolette Puggaard's three children: Hans Christopher Wilhelm (1823–1864), Rudolph Christopher (1818–1885) and Arnette Marie Bolette (1821–1849). Signed and dated C. A. Jensen 1827. Oil on canvas. 82×64 cm.
In the front to the left Hans Christopher Wilhelm half length, en face, light yellow hair, blue eyes, grey shirt with long sleeves and belt. A drum with a red ribbon over his right shoulder. Drumsticks in his hands.
In front to the right Arnette Marie Bolette half length, en face to the left, light brown hair, light blue eyes, green dress with puff sleeves. In her hand she holds the handle of a bucket. In 1844, she married the laywer and national liberal politician Orla Lehmann (1810–1870).
In the back is the big brother Rudolph Christopher with a hand on his sister's shoulder. En face, light curly hair, light blue eyes. Dark blue sweater and vest, white shirt with ruffled collar. In the corners green drapery. Signed and dated C. A. Jensen 1827. Oil on canvas. 82×64 cm.
Sigurd Schulz, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of C. A. Jensen no. 149.
Exhibited: Charlottenborg 1828 no. 178 (supplement), entitled “Portraiter af tre Börn” (Portraits of three children).
Charlottenborg 1829 no. 9, entitled “Gruppe af tre Börn” (Group of three children).
“Raadhusudstillingen af Dansk Kunst til 1890” no. 737, “Gruppe af tre Børn (Rudolf, Christopher og Marie Puggaard)”, dated 1829.
Literature: Sigurd Schulz, “C. A. Jensen”, 1932 vol. I, mentioned p. 230, reproduced p. 215.
The Puggaard family was a well-known and reputable Danish family in the 19th century. Hans Puggaard (1788–1866) was an enterprising and prosperous businessman who through the marriage to Bolette Cathrine Frederikke Hage (1798–1847) also entered into a business collaboration with her brother Alfred Hage. They created a thriving business. Alfred Hage had three daughters and three sons, the most famous one being Johannes Hage, tileworks owner, politician and the founder of the Nivaagaard Collection. Through Hans and Bolette Puggaard's daughter Arnette Marie Bolette's marriage to the liberal politician and lawyer Orla Lehmann, the Puggaard home became a meeting place for politicians in all shapes and sizes. The mother Bolette became a trained and accomplished artist, and she made sure that the home was tastefully and artistically decorated, where many artists also visited the hospitable home.
The older brother Christopher Rudolph married and had a daughter, also named Bolette, who married Emil Hartmann from the musical family of the same name. Emil and Bolette had the son Oluf Hartmann, who became a painter, and the daughter Bodil de Neergaard, who lived at the Fuglsang manor on Lolland, where this painting has hung.
The younger brother Hans Christopher Wilhelm became a geologist and won the university's gold medal in 1849 with the prize dissertation “Møens Geologi” (The geology of Møen).
Provenance: Descendants of the portrayed until today.
Condition report on request. Contact fine-art@bruun-rasmussen.dk
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 & books, 26 February 2019