Erik Brøndum, the artist's father

This is the only known portrait of Anna Ancher's father, the innkeeper Erik Brøndum. It is a bit of a mystery why Anna Ancher only made this one portrait of her father when there are countless portraits of her mother. Apart from him acting as a liaison between the local fishermen and members of the artists' colony looking for models, little is known of Erik Brøndum, who remains a somewhat enigmatic character.