Inscribed, presumably by the artist, on the stretcher: “Beg. at male 17/10 22” (Start[ed] to paint 17/10 22).

Provenance: Agnes and Harald Slott-Møller's painting auction, Charlottenborg 22 October 1929, no. 36, ill. p. 5. Later King Christian X (1870–1947) and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark (1879–1952), Christian VIII's Palace at Amalienborg; hereafter their son and daughter-in-law, Hereditary Prince Knud (1900–1976) and Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark (1912–1995), Christian VIII's Palace at Amalienborg; thereafter their son, His Excellency Ingolf Count of Rosenborg (b. 1940) until today.

Agnes Slott-Møller's interest in Danish myths and legends nurtured her circle of motifs. The present painting is a study for the painting “Kong Valdemar med sin Søn ved Jagtmåltidet på Lyø i Maj 1223” (Valdemar II of Denmark with his son at the hunting dinner at Lyø in May 1223), (1927, oil on canvas, 172×390 cm), which is located at Nyborg Castle. This larger painting is part of a series of six monumental paintings depicting the life of King Valdemar II of Denmark, also called Valdemar the Victorious, based on the old folk songs about the king. Slott-Møller worked on the series in the period 1927–34. Today, four of the six paintings are hanging in Nyborg Castle.

Valdemar II, who was King of Denmark 1202–41, and his son Valdemar the Young were lured into an ambush during a hunting party on the Danish island of Lyø in May 1223 and abducted by Henry I, Count of Schwerin, who had become a victim of Valdemar’s many conquests in Northern Germany. Valdemar and his son were held captive in Brandenburg and later Dannenberg as well as Schwerin until 1225, when they were released in return for a large ransom and a settlement for the relinquishment of most of Valdemar’s conquered North German territories.

The painting, for which the present work is a preliminary work, depicts the hunting meal before the abduction. Iben Overgaard describes the painting as follows (in Danish): “[…] the King sits high above the others, and to his right his first-born son, Valdemar the Young, a blond youth, looks up at him with admiration. The hunting falcon is placed on the son's shoulder to symbolize the hunt that has just ended. [...] On the left sits Henry I, Count of Schwerin, also called Black Henry, scowling at the king. Agnes Slott-Møller has constructed the picture very similar to The Last Supper painted by numerous artists, with Leonardo da Vinci's version being a clear source of inspiration. There is thus no doubt about the grandiose intentions and Agnes Slott-Møller’s reading of the event’s significance for history.” (Skovgaardmuseet, Odense Bys Museer, Vejen Kunstmuseum & Øregaard Museum, ”Agnes Slott-Møller. Skønhed er til evig glæde”, 2008, p. 49).