Provenance: Frederik Christian Krebs (1814–1881).

Lundbye and Frølich met each other through Thorald Læssøe in 1838 and the next three years they developed a very deep and close friendship. It was a romantic friendship - typical for the period - that consisted of profound conversations about the human existence and art and of very strong and deep feelings between the two passionate young men. This portrait from 1839 is executed at the hight of their friendship - Lundbye also drew a fine little portrait of Frølich in 1839 (pen and lavish, the Hirschsprung Collection).

In 1840, Frølich went to Munich for further education and a long passionate and emotional correspondence between the two arose.

Lundbye to Frølich (in Danish): 22 November 1840 : “My dear Lorenz! I am beginning this letter to you, whom I miss every day and long for. I cannot hide from myself and others that you were my best friend – the second finest human I have ever known. Yes only she, the lovable mother (...) only she stands in higher regard with me (...) ... ” - and further 8 December 1840: “... There are many fine people here, but none, not one that can replace you or even get close to you in my eyes.(...).” Quoted from: Lotte Thrane: “Tusmørkemesteren. 10 kapitler om Lorenz Frølich og hans tid", 2008, vol.1, p. 59 and p. 60.

And Frølich in his memoirs (in Danish): “(...) The impression of my life together with Lundbye, and what was entailed by this, remained embedded in my soul as something sincere, untouched by everything else, and with its own power to blossom.” Quoted from: Lotte Thrane: “Tusmørkemesteren. 10 kapitler om Lorenz Frølich og hans tid", 2008, vol.1, p. 73.