Versailles at Pedersholm

With its strikingly bright colours and irregular shapes, Robert Jacobsen’s drip painting is worthy of a lavish new year fireworks display (estimate DKK 60,000-80,000). The work is clearly inspired by the American painter Jackson Pollock and reflects a different and immediately accessible approach, a technique which stands in playful contrast to the hard physical and painstaking work with iron, which, as is well known, was “Big Robert’s” preferred medium.

And there can be no doubt that the large figure group “Apollon opvartes af nymfer” (Apollo Attended by Nymphs) involved much time-consuming work. This impressive figure group is executed in white-speckled marble and is a copy of the original by the French sculptors Girardon and Regnaudin, which stands in the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, made for Louis XIV as a subtle symbol of the radiant might and dominion of the Sun King (estimate DKK 200,000-250,000). 

And the “Millennium 2000” necklace is also a radiant and tangible symbol of the most beautiful kind - a 19 carat white gold chain adorned with 35 pastel coloured sapphires and numerous brilliant cut diamonds. With its estimate of DKK 150,000 this is a piece of jewellery for the true lover.

The receiver of the necklace could not do better than admire it in the splendid full length Louis XVI mirror in its richly carved gilt wooden frame (estimate DKK 100,000-150,000). Provided your living room is big enough, an ideal partner for the mirror might be a truly impressive Spanish carpet measuring 350 x 750 cm, inspired by Louis XVI and made for the influential Count Godó in Barcelona.

Measuring 606 x 290 cm as it does, the antique Kirman Lawar from Persia also requires some elbow room and distance between the panels. However, to the delight of us ordinary mortals, most of the other carpets are of more modest dimensions. Before moving on from Louis XVI entirely it would not go amiss to mention a pair of signed George Jacob armchairs of white painted wood picked out in gold (estimate DKK 60,000). The Parisian furniture maker came from straightened circumstances to end up as supplier to the royal family and Versailles. Indeed, so great was the demand that at one time George Jacob had 350 employees under his care.

No Vejle auction without Ancher! On this occasion we look forward to presenting “Aftenstemning med solnedgang ved Skagen Strand” (Evening Scene with Sunset on Skagen Beach) (estimate DKK 60,000-80,000). The star number is also a sunset by Michael Ancher with the young reaper riding home from the outlying fields. The painting measures all of 186 x 125 cm and is more symbolic in its imagery than we are used to seeing from Michael Ancher’s brush. The drama of everyday life is still there but presented in a manner that surrounds the composition with a mysterious glow of quietude, portent and the echo of horses’ hooves (estimate DKK 300,000).

Art at its best often leaves much unspoken. Similarly to the works of Ancher, some of the same can be seen in Johannes Larsen’s “Haveparti med blomster” (Garden with Flowers). Gone are the animals so well known from the artist’s naturalistically inspired world and a real event in the picture plane. For all that, the picture must be considered to be among the best of his works (estimate DKK 60,000-80,000). 

Hans Henrik Lerfeldt, who during his all-too-short life managed to display an outstanding painting technique, was a true master of the dark and the unspoken. “Gådernes planet” (The Planet of Riddles) is the title of the surreal work which will be in the excellent company of Thomas Arnell’s: “Blomsten: Digterens hyldest til den svangre muse” (The Flower: The Poet’s Homage to the Pregnant Muse) (estimates DKK 40,000 and DKK 15,000-18,000). 

Homage is quite clear in an entirely different context: in this case it is Heerup, who with his painting “Kattemanden” (The Cat Man) somehow seems to be paying homage to an animal which the imaginative artist much appreciated. Viewed in another light, the painting could be seen as a cunning homage to himself, the artist and connoisseur of life, who could quite rightly be called a true original (estimate DKK 75,000-100,000). 

If Heerup were with us today, he would of course paid his kindred spirit Knud Nielsen a visit. He is also a loner of Danish art, who for decades has demonstrated great artistic flair and creative vitality. “Søen” (The Lake) stands out in all its dominion of colour and artistic depth as one of the most well painted works from his hand, and in our opinion is well worth a glance among the many in this auction (estimate DKK 75,000).

Welcome to a new year at Pedersholm!

Preview: January 17 - 21, Pedersholm Allé 42, 7100 Vejle.

Auction: January 22 - 25, Pedersholm Allé 42, 7100 Vejle.