Artwork

Portrait of the Artist´s Sister, Cecilie Margrethe Petersen, née Købke

Portrait of the Artist´s Sister, Cecilie Margrethe Petersen, née Købke is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Christen Købke. It dates from 1835 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Overview

Portrait of the Artist’s Sister, Cecilie Margrethe Petersen, née Købke, is an 1835 oil painting by Christen Købke, a prominent artist of the Danish Golden Age. The work is a portrait held in the Statens Museum for Kunst collection.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts Cecilie Margrethe Petersen, the artist’s sister, seated in a somber, dark room. Her serious, almost weary expression is the focal point, set against a plain background that emphasizes her contemplative demeanor.

Technique & Style

Købke employed rich, vibrant colors for the subject’s attire, a red dress over a green skirt, to create contrast against the dark, muted surroundings, characteristic of the German Romanticism influence on his work.

History & Provenance

Created in 1835, the portrait is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s collection, reflecting Købke’s contribution to the Danish Golden Age of Painting.

Context

This portrait exemplifies the blend of Danish Golden Age sensibilities with German Romanticism, emphasizing emotional depth and simple, yet expressive, composition.

Portrait of the Artist´s Sister, Cecilie Margrethe Petersen, née Købke, Unknown

Artist & collection

Artist

Christen Købke

Christen Schiellerup Købke (26 May 1810 – 7 February 1848) was a Danish painter, and one of the best-known artists from the Golden Age of Danish Painting.