- 27
Johan Christian Dahl
Description
- J. C. Dahl
- Landscape in Evening Light
- signed and dated JCDahl 1853 lower right
- oil on panel
- 18 by 22.5cm., 7 by 9in.
Provenance
Galleri Bellman, Oslo
Private Collection (acquired from the above in 1981; sale: Sotheby's, New York, 24 January 2008, lot 83)
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner
Exhibited
Literature
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
Dahl's oil sketches from nature are among his most beautiful works, capturing masterfully the shifting qualities of light and atmosphere of the landscape. Born in Bergen, Norway, Dahl became one of the leading proponents of the new approach of plein air study. As there was no academy yet established in Norway, he left in 1811 to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Dahl painted from nature in Denmark, but it wasn't until he travelled to Italy in 1820 that his sketches became freer and more confident. Though he settled in Dresden for the rest of his life, he made five trips between 1826 and 1850 back to his native Norway where he painted hundreds of studies, using them upon his return to Dresden as inspiration for his large-scale Nordic landscapes.
The influence of Dahl's close friendship with Caspar David Friedrich is clearly evident in the present work in Dahl's placement of two figures on the silhouetted mountain towards the centre of the composition. Positioned above a gorge and acting as the visual anchor for the composition, this pair of Rückenfiguren (figures seen from the back) are a frequent device that Friedrich employed in his paintings. As the two figures contemplate the sunset, they underline the palpable sense of awe for the physical world that lies at the heart of Dahl's aesthetic.
This finished study of a brilliant sunset was painted for one of his closest friends in Dresden, Mrs von der Decken. Marie Bang lists more than a dozen works that the artist painted as presents for her, many as Christmas gifts, between 1837-1856. Starting in the 1820s, Dahl made drawings after his paintings to keep as a record. An 'after drawing' of the present work is in the collection of the Bergen Billedgalleri, Bergen (fig. 1) and is inscribed 'd. 24 Decbr. 1853. Present an Frau Generalin von der Decken-Dahl 9 1/2 Z. l - 7 ½ Z. h. Sch. Mass.' Though the site is not specified, it may depict a scene along the Elbe River where Dahl often painted.