Niels Kristian Skovgaard

NIELS KRISTIAN SKOVGAARD (Denmark, 1858 - 1938).
"Children bathing in the river", 1885.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 40 x 60 cm; 53 x 73 cm (frame).

Niels Kristian Skovgaard's painting, executed in 1885, combines elements of naturalism and impressionism to masterfully capture a Danish landscape bathed in light. Under a diaphanous blue sky, a lush valley stretches out where the grass, a deep emerald green, seems to wave gently. A dirt road winds through the leafy trees, leading the eye to a body of water, possibly a lake or river, reflecting the brightness of the day. In the scene, a group of children enjoy a summer moment. Some are still splashing in the crystal clear water, while others, already outside, are slowly getting dressed after their swim. In the middle distance, their silhouettes are delicately silhouetted against the landscape, their light clothing in predominantly white tones contrasting with the surrounding vegetation. The work reveals Skovgaard's skill in depicting nature, with a loose but precise brushstroke that captures the texture of the grass, the translucency of the water and the coolness of the shadow cast by the trees. The influence of the Barbizon school is clearly perceived, in its emphasis on light and atmosphere (albeit with a more photographic approach), where every detail contributes to the sense of harmony and realism.

Niels Kristian Skovgaard was a Danish painter and sculptor. His statue of N.F.S. Grundtvig is considered a masterpiece of Danish sculpture. Born in Copenhagen, Skovgaard was the son of the notable Danish Golden Age painter P.C. Skovgaard. Like his brother Joakim Skovgaard, he was introduced to art by his father, who encouraged him to paint outdoors. The artist Janus la Cour, who lived in the Skovgaard household, was also a source of inspiration. He attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1874 to 1879. Unlike his brother, he was not attracted to modern pictorial trends in France, despite a visit to Paris in 1883. He was more interested in the pictorial styles he encountered in the Netherlands, which induced him to paint landscapes of the North Sea coast that showed his mastery of light and air along with a sensitive approach to color. However, he was influenced to some extent by the Barbizon School. From 1884, together with the Romantic ornamental artist Thorvald Bindesbøll, he began to design glazed ceramics, while he developed his interest in sculpture from 1887 with Aage og Else . He became increasingly interested in classical Greek sculpture and spent years attempting to reconstruct the figures on the west pediment of the temple of Zeus at Olympia. He also worked on female figures dancing in Megara, as can be seen in his painting Trata - Kvindedansen i Megara, in the Skovgaard Museum. Like his brother Joakim, he also created religious works, such as the altarpiece Dåben på pinsedag (1905) at Immanuel Church in Frederiksberg. In 1931, he created the statue of N.F.S. Grundtvig in Vartov, Copenhagen, considered a masterpiece of Danish sculpture. Skovgaard had eight children, among them the writer and composer Irene Skovgaard, who published a book about her father entitled Et Kunstnerhjem : Niels Skovgaards Hjem paa Karlsberg ved Hillerød (An artist's home: Niels Skovgaard's home in Karlsberg, near Hillerød).