Fritz Petzholdt (b. Copenhagen 1805, d. Patras 1838)
“En Kulmile i Nærheden af Ilsenburg”. A charcoal stack near Ilsenburg, Harz, Germany. 1829. Unsigned. Oil on canvas. 51×42 cm.
Exhibited: Charlottenborg 1830 no. 66. Kunstforeningen, “Fritz Petzholdt 1805–1838”, 1985 no. 26, mentioned pp. 7–8 in the catalogue.
A coal mile is a hemispherical, covered pile of wood for producing charcoal by incomplete combustion with reduced air supply.
llsenburg is a town in the Harz in Nothern Germany, located in the northern part of the Harz at the entrance to the Ilse valley with the river Ilse.
In 1829, Petzholdt made a trip to the Harz as a foretaste of the big trip to Italy later on. He wanted to see “real” mountains and was inspired by Heinrich Heine's “Harzreise”, which had been published shortly before. We know that Petzholdt and Heine met in Hamburg. Petzholdt's wish was to see mountains in real life.
In the Harz, Petzholdt traveled with the painter Christian Morgenstern, whom he knew from the Art Academy in Copenhagen. It is therefore not unikely that it is Morgenstern we see in the painting walking along the road with his back to the viewer.
The Fine Art Department would like to thank MA Lise-Lott Barlas for the addition above to the cataloging of this painting.
Description revised 2023–4-11.
Crackles. A few minor retouches. One repair / retouch in the lower left corner.
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 & drawings, 6 March 2023
Not sold