Literature: Mikael Wivel: “ “Sekel”, a similar work in the Faroese National Gallery's collection is illustrated and mentioned on p. 16–20: “When Mikines began painting in earnest, he had the same slightly naïve approach to the material as these three excellent forerunners [Kruse, Isaksen & Waagstein] (eds.). But even in this early part of his oeuvre, you sense that there is another and more powerful force behind his brush strokes, and that his interpretation of the motifs is based on a greater, emotional empathy. It was in 1926 that things began to pick up speed. But he had been inspired to begin his artistic oeuvre already two years earlier, when a professional Swedish bird painter, William Gislander, visited Mykines to paint gannets and puffins in their natural habitat. The young Mikines did not leave his side, and Gislander acknowledged Mikines’ interest by giving him his half-empty paint tubes. These were then pressed until the last bit of paint had left them and were turned into small paintings on cardboard, where the would-be painter tried to learn the craft. All these small paintings appear to have been lost, but several others have been preserved, both from 1926, 1927 and 1928. The earliest of them are meticulous and particular and show the same urge of the painter to include everything, which characterizes Vincent van Gogh's paintings from the period in Arles – without further comparison between the two artists. However, it is clear that Mikines, like the Dutch painter, was motivated by an inner drive and wanted to create something serious with his paintings. As early as 1927, he shifted into high gear, and in 1928 the talent really began to show itself. The brush strokes sweep across the canvas and give form to green grass, cliff sides, sea and drifting clouds. These paintings were created with an abundance of youthful talent, and when they were exhibited in Torshavn, every single piece was sold. It resonated throughout the intellectual scene in the capital that the Faroe Islands suddenly and completely out of the blue had a painter on their hands who was perhaps unschooled but at the same time had the potential to go very far as an artist. It was only natural that the local parliament, Lagtinget, awarded him a scholarship so that he could go to Copenhagen to learn the basic concepts of painting at the Royal Danish Art Academy of Fine Arts. This happened in 1928.”

Provenance: Relatives to the artist. One of the earliest known works by the iconic Faroe Islands painter. Has never been offered for sale until now.