Johan Christian Dahl

J. C. Fick, Copenhagen (acquired from the artist)
Sale: Blomqvist, Oslo, 2-3 May, 2005, lot 355
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Andreas Aubert, Maleren Johan Christian Dahl. Et stykke av forrige Aarhundredes Kunst- och Kulturhistorie, Kristiania, 1920, p. 30
Marie Lødrup Bang, Johan Christian Dahl, Life and Works, Oslo, 1987, vol. II, p. 49, no. 59, catalogued; vol III, pl. 26, the afterdrawing illustrated
Bente Scavenius, 'Langt højere bjege Landskapmaleriet i den danske gullander', in J. C. Dahl: hans danske miljø og det danske landskap, Bergen, 1995, p. 33, illustrated

The canvas has an old relining. There is a faint pattern of hairline craquelure visible under close inspection. Under ultra-violet light the old varnish fluoresces unevenly and somewhat opaquely in places, likely relating to selective cleaning in the past; the only clearly visible signs of retouching are intermittent strokes along the framing edges and some scattered pinhead-sized spots in the sky in the upper-right quadrant, and some other relatively minor retouchings. This painting is in good overall condition and ready to hang. The colours are somewhat deeper and subtler in reality than in the catalogue illustration. Presented in a decorative gilt frame.
"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."

Liselund is an eighteenth-century landscaped park, complete with several exotic buildings and monuments. Located close to Møns Klint on the north-eastern corner of the Danish island of Møn, it is regarded as one of the finest examples in Scandinavia of the English Romantic garden. Designed by the Danish landscape architect Andreas Kirkerup, the park was commissioned in the 1790s by French Huguenot nobleman Antoine de Bosc de la Calmette for his wife Elisabeth, commonly known as Lisa. Liselund, roughly translated, means Lise's grove. The park was the inspiration for writers and artists, including Hans Christian Andersen, whose 1829 poem Klintekorset paa Møen or Møn's Cliff Cross was inspired by the large wooden cross at the edge of the cliff, seen in Dahl's painting, and in a painting of the same title by C. W. Eckersberg of 1809. The original cross fell into the sea in a landslide in 1905, but a new cross stands close by today.