The Blue Hour: Masterpieces by Krøyer Under the Hammer
Moonlight was a recurring theme in P.S. Krøyer’s art. Now, on a Live Auction taking place on 8 May, you have the opportunity to experience three masterpieces capturing the iconic "blue hour."
|
P.S. Krøyer is one of the most central figures of the Modern Breakthrough in Danish art. He is especially renowned for his depictions of the light during summer evenings in Skagen. His ability to capture "the blue hour" – the quiet twilight when sky and sea melt together in an enchanting blue hue – has made his works some of the most coveted and iconic in Danish art history. We are now offering three masterpieces by Krøyer at an upcoming Live Auction. The auction will take place on Thursday 8 May, and you can view Krøyer’s works, along with a wide range of paintings by other Skagen painters, during the preview from 1–7 May at Nørgaardsvej 3 in Lyngby. |
|
The Magic of Twilight
Krøyer had a particular fondness for twilight, when subtle nuances were more vivid than in bright sunlight. One of the most notable works at the auction is Wreck on Skagen North Beach... from 1894.
This painting is a classic example of Krøyer’s blue hour motifs, where he captures the melancholic and poetic atmosphere of the Skagen coast. The work portrays the coastline’s strong diagonal, tire tracks in the sand indicating someone has just left, and a shipwreck that serves both as a romantic symbol and a testament to the harsh lives of the fishermen.
Together, these elements evoke a mood of longing and calm that brings a warm, quiet summer evening at Denmark’s northernmost point to life.
“There’s a certain atmosphere in Skagen I can’t resist. It’s when there’s silent moonlight over the beach – then I’m there at once with my sketchbook.”
P.S. Krøyer
“Father Was Enchanted by the Moon”
Moonlight over the sea was a recurring motif in Krøyer’s art, especially in his later works. In the exhibition catalogue The Blue Hour of Peder Severin Krøyer, his daughter Vibeke Krøyer describes his deep connection to the subject:
“We sometimes cycled along the southern beach when the sand was hard enough. Father felt drawn to the sea. During a stay in the mountains of Tyrol, I remember him being surprised that people could live this far away from the sea, which is salty like human tears. – The sea beneath the light of the moon probably presented the strongest urge. Father was moonstruck. He had to get out there.”
– Vibeke Krøyer in “The Blue Hour of Peder Severin Krøyer,” Mette Harboe Lehmann, Musée Marmottan Monet, 2021
|
Want to Learn More?
Join us for a talk on P.S. Krøyer and the other Skagen painters titled Northern Light – The Artist Colony at Skagen, held on Thursday 1 May at 4:30 PM by our in-house experts. The talk takes place at our auction house on Nørgaardsvej 3 in Lyngby.
Everyone is welcome, and no registration is required. Read more here.
For further information, please contact:
|
|
Julie Arendse VossJulie Arendse VossHead of department / 19th Century & Old Master Paintings / København |
|
|
Sofie Normann ChristensenSofie Normann ChristensenSpecialist / 19th Century & Old Master Paintings / København |
|
|
Birte StokholmBirte StokholmSpecialist / 19th Century & Old Master Paintings / København |