Artwork
Hippolyts død
Hippolyts død is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Christian Frederik Carl Holm. It dates from 1829 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting visualizes this violent demise, showing the mythological figure together with a horse, the central agent of his destruction.
Hippolyts død depicts the death of Hippolytus, a figure from Greek mythology recounted in sources such as Euripides' play Hippolytus. According to the legend, Hippolytus, a devotee of Artemis, was killed when his chariot horses, panicked by a sea monster sent by Poseidon, dragged him to his death. The painting visualizes this violent demise, showing the mythological figure together with a horse, the central agent of his destruction.
Classified as a religious painting, the work engages with a classical mythological subject through a Christian-era lens, a common approach in nineteenth-century Danish art that treated pagan narratives as morally instructive exempla.
The composition's large scale, measuring approximately 190 by 264.5 centimeters, lends the scene a monumental gravity appropriate to its tragic theme. The juxtaposition of human fragility against the unleashed power of the horse underscores the work's symbolic concern with divine retribution, human hubris, and the limits of mortal control over natural forces.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 190.0 cm by 264.5 cm, and depicts the biblical figure Hippolytus alongside a horse. The painting's composition and handling reflect a formal approach characteristic of early 19th-century religious art, emphasizing narrative clarity and subdued tonal modeling. Its condition remains stable within the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed as part of its religious art holdings.
History & Provenance
Christian Frederik Carl Holm created the oil-on-canvas painting Hippolyts død in 1829. The work depicts the mythological figure Hippolytus alongside a horse and is classified within the religious art genre. It measures 190 cm in height and 264.5 cm in width. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
The painting Hippolyts død by Christian Frederik Carl Holm is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work, created in 1829, is executed in oil on canvas and measures 1900 mm in height and 2645 mm in width. While the museum location is confirmed, the provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece. Furthermore, no exhibition history is documented in the available records.
Overview
Created in 1829 by Danish painter Christian Frederik Carl Holm, Hippolyts død is an oil on canvas that belongs to the German Romantic tradition. The work is part of the religious genre and is currently owned by the Statens Museum for Kunst. It depicts a dramatic moment involving a fallen rider and his horse against a storm‑filled sky.
Context
During the early 19th century, German Romanticism emphasized emotional extremes, nature’s power, and historic or mythological subjects. Holm, known primarily for animal and hunting scenes, applied these ideals to a classical tragedy, merging his expertise in depicting horses with the era’s fascination for dramatic, morally charged narratives.
Artist & collection
Artist
Christian Frederik Carl Holm (18 February 1804, Copenhagen – 24 July 1846, Tivoli) was a Danish painter; known primarily for his animal and hunting scenes.
Bekehrung des Saulus
Sulmalla prøver forgæves at overtale sin elsker Cathmor til at slutte fred med Fingal
Sulmalla prøver forgæves at overtale sin elsker Cathmor til at slutte fred med Fingal
The stop at the forge
Rytterfægtning
Franske kyrasserer, som angriber en russisk forpost
Austrian Dragoons
Skirmish between Cavalry and Infantry
The Good Samaritan
Italian Landscape with Shepherds
Franske kyrasserer, som angriber en russisk forpost- Hippolyts død
