Heinrich Hansen Danish, 1821-1880

Sale: Sotheby's London, 28 November 1984, lot 119
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

As early as the 7th century, the Danes were known for training falcons from Norway and Iceland. The Royal Family often gave them as gifts to other royal families. King Christian IV, for example, gave his brother-in-law, James I of England and VI of Scotland, a gift of 24 falcons.

Frederiksborg Castle, situated near the city of Hilleröd, North Zealand, is one of the most important historical monuments in Denmark. Built at the begining of the 17th century during the reign of Christian IV, it is one of the best examples of the Dutch inspired Danish Renaissance style. It was a favourite subject for 19th century Danish painters, both for its romantic motif and for its historical associations.

One of the most famous parts of the castle is the Neptune Fountain in the central courtyard. Designed by Adrian de Vries and built between 1616 and 1623, the original figures from the fountain were removed during the Swedish occupation in 1659. These are now to be seen at the Royal Palace in Drottningholm. The fountain was reconstructed by Heinrich Hansen in 1888 using casts of Adrain de Vries's original figures.

In 1859 a large part of the castle was burnt down but was re-built under the guidance of the architect, Ferdinand Meldahl. The castle is now the home of the National Historical Museum (founded in 1878 by G. C. Jacobsen) and houses many fine examples of Danish historical paintings and furniture in their period interiors.

A lithograph of this painting by Emilius Baerentzen (1799-1868) is sold with this lot (fig. 1). Baerentzen founded an important lithograph institute in Copenhagen in 1837.