Paul Gustav Fischer

Sale: Sotheby's, London, June 19, 1984, lot 83, illustrated
Acquired at the above sale

Copenhagen, Kunstforeningen, Dengang i 80 'erne, Danske miljøer i Malerkunsten 1880-1890, November-December 1983, no. 20

The following condition report was kindly provided by Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.: This large and impressive picture is in beautiful condition. The canvas is unlined and the paint layer is vigorously textured and very stable. The painting has been recently cleaned, varnished and retouched. The only apparent retouches address a "U" shaped damage in the lower right corner which has a patch on the reverse; the filling is not very good and could be improved. There is another vertical tear in the neck of the standing figure with crossed arms looking to the left, which has been similarly awkwardly repaired. The remainder of the picture is complete with a few cracks and pentimentis, yet no visible damages. The restorations that exist should be improved and the recent loss in the lower right corner beneath the date should be diminished. Overall however, the picture is in lovely state.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Paul Fischer is celebrated as the Danish "chronicler of modern life;" his dynamic scenes of his native Copenhagen reflect the energy and vitality of the urban existence. Fischer's formal education at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen was brief, and he was perhaps most influenced by visits to Paris and the work of the French Impressionists he encountered there in the 1870s and 1880s. His palette ultimately became brighter and richer, and through his choice of subjects he sought to express the spirit of his time and culture.

 

In An Evening at the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen Fischer depicts the moments either before the performance or during an intermission, with the theatergoers casually mingling about as the Royal Family peers down from above. The large scale of the composition and audience-level perspective draw the viewer into the scene, situating us amongst the general public, literally looking up at the Royal Family in their specially designated seats. In choosing to depict the crowd rather than the actors, Fischer has essentially shifted the "performance" from the stage to the audience; and instead of fixing their gaze upon the stage, the attendees now subtly watch each other. Audience members shift through the aisles and stand in their seats, stretching during the performance's pause, absent-mindedly scanning the crowd. Some, particularly the women, sit patiently, almost immobile, others flip through their programs. A few of the men seem to stare directly out at us (one audience member in the background even peers out at us through his binoculars), and in the foreground, a man is shown leaning forward and lifting his binoculars – someone has suddenly sparked his attention.  The viewer is fully engaged by this lively glimpse of the theatergoing public, as Fischer deliberately chooses not to focus on the stage and its inhabitants, which is merely suggested by the yellowish glow of the stage lights emanating from the right of the composition.

 

The Royal Danish Theater was first constructed in 1748 in the center of Copenhagen. Only able to seat 800 people, it was primarily a venue for French comedies performed by its eight actors and four actresses. In 1874, the theater re-opened as "The Old Stage," with seating for nearly 1,600 theatergoers and a specially designed balcony for members of the Royal Family. The interior of the theater is virtually identical to how it looked when Fischer created the present work. The figures in the Royal box are, from left to right: The Crown Princess (Louise of Sweden), Crown Prince Frederik (later King Frederik VIII of Denmark), Queen Louise and King Christian IX of Denmark (father of Queen Alexandra of England).

 

The theatergoers are all comprised of portraits of Fischer's friends and acquaintances, lending an air of authenticity and immediacy to the composition. In the audience are Inspector Suckenberg (father of the poet), Henrik Pontoppidan (the poet), Christian Winter (the poet), Otto Bache (the painter), Otto Benzon (the pharmacist), Olaf Poulson (the actor), Pietro Krohn, Niels W. Gade (the composer), Peter Schram, Miss Emma Lange (the actress), Mr. Fallesen (Lord in Waiting), Sophus Schandorph, Viggo Stuckenberg (the poet), Holger Drachmann (the poet and painter), Erik Bøgh, Hans Tegner, Mrs. Dagny Fischer (wife of the artist), Estrid Hansen (later Hein, daughter of the barrister Octavius Hansen), Miss Charlotte Hansen (later Wiehe-Bereny, the ballerina).