Exhibited: Charlottenborg 1903 no. 182. Charlottenborg, “Fortegnelse over malerier og studier af Ellen Hofman-Bang”, 1916 no. 1. Foreningen for National Kunst, “Fortegnelse over akvareller og tegninger af Carl Bloch samt arbejder af Ellen Hofman-Bang og andre danske kunstnere”, 1934 no. 97.

Provenance: Manager Carl Herforth (1916, 1934). Louise Caroline Herforth. Bruun Rasmussen auction 80, 1957 no. 9.

Ellen Hofman-Bang attended Vilhelmine Bang's (1848–1932) Drawing School, and from 1898 to 1902, she studied at The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen under Viggo Johansen (1851–1935). She went on several study trips abroad – for example to Paris in 1906 as a student at Jacques-Émile Blanche's (1861–1942) and Lucien Simon's (1861–1945) painting school and then to Italy, the Middle East, Greece, Norway, Sweden and England. Hoffmann-Bang exhibited regularly at Charlottenborg until 1948. She worked mainly with church decorations and religious motifs in the form of large, often dramatic, paintings. She also painted national historical scenes, such as the present painting, which is based on the historian C.F. Bricka's (1845–1903) publication “Kong Frederik den Andens Ungdomskærlighed. Et historisk Forsøg” (The youth love of Frederik II of Denmark. A historical attempt) from 1873 about Anne Hardenberg, a Danish noblewoman and lady-in-waiting. Frederik II wanted to marry her, but his wish was met with resistance from wide circles.

In the exhibition catalogue from Charlottenborg in 1903, the painting is accompanied by the following text (in Danish): “Frederik II of Denmark wanted to make Anna Corfitzdatter Hardenberg the Queen of Denmark, despite the Council of State. In order not to arouse discord in the country, she refused, despite her love for the King, his persistent agelong courtship. C. F. Bricka: The youth love of Frederik II of Denmark”. The painting was Hofman-Bang's debut at Charlottenborg's Spring Exhibition, and its sale financed her first study trip to Germany in 1903.