Out in the open air with Paul Fischer

The Copenhageners’ painter

Paul Fischer (1860-1934) is best known for his depictions of the pulsating life in Copenhagen at the turn of the last century, and for that reason is often referred to in literature as “the Copenhageners’ painter”, as he has a special ability to capture evocative moments from streets, parks, squares and market places.

The auction features the painting “Ildløs i Skindergade” (Fire in Skindergade) from 1896, which depicts a crowd of curious Copenhageners watching the fire brigade’s battle against the flames in Skindergade. His intense depiction of the crowd in the densely packed street is so characteristic of the artist’s snapshots of city life in Copenhagen. The fire can be dated back to 6 April 1895 when, according to Københavns Brandmuseum (Copenhagen Fire Museum), some stuffing material stored in the basement of the front building, Skindergade 7, caught fire.

City in the snow and sleet

Many of Paul Fischer’s works follow the change of seasons. He is out in all weathers in search of new angles to his snapshots. There is an intensity to his winter paintings, which show the people of Copenhagen venturing out into the snow and sleet, as can be seen in works such as “Ved Frederiksberg Runddel” (At Frederiksberg Circus) (1908), a painting of two fine ladies standing talking in front of the snow-covered entrance to Frederiksberg Gardens, their cheeks pink from the cold. The painting “På kælketur i Søndermarken” (Sledging in Søndermarken) is a refreshingly cheerful depiction of a young couple sledging down a snow-covered hill – the young lady on the front of the sledge with her muff snuggled closely to her face.

In the painting “Raadhuspladsen med Dragespringvandet. Snevejr” (The dragon fountain on City Hall Square. Snowy weather) depicts three men clearing the snow from Rådhuspladsen, while the bright yellow trams brighten up the otherwise grey-white city landscape. A somewhat greener Copenhagen is depicted in “Regnvejrsdag på Kongens Nytorv” (Rainy day on Kongens Nytorv), with a man and a woman crossing the square in the pouring rain. Common to all his works is the intimacy of the moment, which is so unique to Fischer’s paintings.

Intimacy at home and away

As opposed to the hustle and bustle of the city life, the paintings of the bathing girls ooze intimacy and harmony. The auction features “To badepiger i strandkanten” (Two girls bathing at the water’s edge) (1916) and “To badepiger ved stranden” (Two girls bathing at the beach) (1917), which depict sweet, naked bathing nymphs at the beach in Hornbæk. There is a different kind of peace and contemplation in “Tænksom kvinde ved et vindue” (Reflecting woman by a window), a painting of the artist’s wife, Musse, at their home on Sofievej in Hellerup, just north of Copenhagen.

Colourful Italian street life

It is a much broader colour palette we see in Paul Fischer’s picturesque depictions of life in Naples and San Remo. In “Vomero Napoli” (1922), we are witness to the vibrant street life at a small market in Vomero, a suburb of Naples, where the locals chat merrily over the baskets of carrots. The scene is slightly more subdued in “Gade i San Remo” (Street in San Remo), where a man is walking past a girl who is busy sewing, while the girl beside her is taking a nap.

View all Paul Fischer’s works up for auction here

Previews: Tuesday 21 September–Monday 27 September
Auction: Monday 27 September–Wednesday 6 October