Artwork
The Picture from Thibet
The Picture from Thibet is an oil painting by the Realist artist Emil Carlsen. It dates from 1920 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1920, this work is an oil painting on canvas. The composition measures 97 cm in height and 68.9 cm in width. As a classified painting by Emil Carlsen, the piece utilizes traditional materials of oil paint applied to a fabric support.
History & Provenance
Purchased by James Parmelee in Washington during the spring of 1926, the painting passed to his widow, Alice Maury Parmelee, upon his death in 1931.
Emil Carlsen executed The Picture from Thibet in 1920. The work entered the collection of James Parmelee in Washington during the spring of 1926, a transaction later confirmed in Parmelee's will dated October 11, 1926. Upon Parmelee's death in 1931, ownership passed by inheritance to his widow, Alice Maury Parmelee.
Following her death in 1940, the painting was bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in 1941. The Corcoran held the work until 2014, at which point it was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Purchased by James Parmelee in Washington during the spring of 1926, the painting passed to his widow, Alice Maury Parmelee, upon his death in 1931. Following her passing in 1940, the work was bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington in 1941. The institution later transferred the piece to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 2014.
While the work is documented as part of the collections of both the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the National Gallery of Art, the available records do not list specific inventory numbers or detail any public exhibition history for the piece.
Overview
Created circa 1920, this oil on canvas by Søren Emil Carlsen presents a domestic still‑life arrangement. A prominent white vase dominates the composition, accompanied by a diminutive white figurine, both set against a vividly painted wall. The backdrop features a decorative mural of stylized figures and cloud motifs that evoke visual references to Tibetan artistic traditions, hinted at by the work’s title.
Subject & Meaning
The central objects, a vase and a small statue, serve as quiet focal points, inviting contemplation of form and material. The surrounding mural, with its exotic iconography, introduces a cultural juxtaposition, suggesting an interest in far‑away visual vocabularies while remaining anchored in a familiar interior setting.
Context
During the 1920s, Western artists increasingly incorporated motifs from Asian cultures, often mediated through travel literature and exhibitions. Carlsen’s inclusion of a Tibetan‑inspired mural aligns with this broader fascination, situating the painting within contemporary dialogues about cross‑cultural visual exchange.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Soren Emil Carlsen (October 19, 1848, Copenhagen, Denmark – January 2, 1932, New York City, U.S.) was an American Impressionist painter who emigrated to the United States from Denmark.
