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Long Shadows. Cattle on the Island of Saltholm

Theodor PhilipsenAbout 1890

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst
Copenhagen, Denmark

The short, brisk, richly coloured brushstrokes make the picture vibrate with light, colour, and atmosphere. Philipsen is not, however, an impressionist in the French sense of the concept. He was not interested in "modern life".

In his paintings, he almost turns his back on it in favour of the simple life within nature, often taking a form such as this almost transcendental tribute to the all-embracing power of light. The cows are not the real motif; that distinction belongs to the sun and the power of the sun.

The great innovator

Whenever the history of Danish art is told, Philipsen is often assigned the role as the great innovator. From his starting point within the landscapes and animal pictures of the late Golden Age, he brought Danish art out of the smoke-filled salons and threw open the French doors to let in a far more modern mode of painting filled with light and colour.

Philipsen's impressionism

Several factors contributed to Philipsen’s appropriation of Impressionism, including visits to the Impressionist exhibitions in Paris, his enjoyment of the Southern climate on travels in Spain and Italy, and - very importantly - his friendship with Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) during the mid-1880s. Philipsen’s originality stems from his ability to adapt and develop the Impressionist palette in accordance with the Danish countryside and climate.

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  • Title: Long Shadows. Cattle on the Island of Saltholm
  • Creator: Theodor Philipsen
  • Creator Lifespan: 1840 København - 1920 København
  • Creator Nationality: Danish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: København
  • Creator Birth Place: København
  • Date Created: About 1890
  • Værktekst: De korte, farvemættede penselstrøg får billedet til at vibrere af lys, farve og atmosfære. Philipsen er dog ikke impressionist i fransk forstand. "Det moderne liv" interesserede ham ikke. I sine malerier vender han det nærmest ryggen til fordel for det overskuelige liv i naturen, ofte formet som denne næsten oversanselige hyldest til lysets altdominerende magt. Det er ikke køerne, men solen og solens kraft, der er det egentlige motiv. Den store fornyer I fortællingerne om den danske malerkunsts historie tildeles Philipsen rollen som den store fornyer. Det var ham, der fra sit udgangspunkt i senguldalderens landskabs- og dyremaleri førte dansk kunst ud af de tilrøgede saloner og åbnede de franske døre til et meget mere moderne lys- og farvemættet maleri. Philipsens impressionisme Besøg på impressionistudstillingerne i Paris, mødet med Sydens sol på rejser til Spanien og Italien og ikke mindst venskabet med Paul Gauguin (1848-1903) i midten af 1880’erne var vigtige for Philipsens tilegnelse af impressionismen. Philipsens originalitet beror på evnen til at tillempe og udvikle den impressionistiske palet i overensstemmelse med den danske natur og det danske vejr.
  • Teknik: Olie på lærred
  • Proveniens: Køb 1916
  • Provenance: Acquired 1916
  • Physical Dimensions: w81.5 x h61 cm (Without frame)
  • Featured Place: Saltholm
  • Dansk link: http://www.smk.dk/index.php?id=1200
  • Dansk Titel: Lange skygger. Kvæg på Saltholm
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk/en/copyright/creative-commons/
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

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