Artwork
Alkyone venter forgæves sin bortrejste ægtefælle
Alkyone venter forgæves sin bortrejste ægtefælle is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein-Stub. It dates from 1810 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein‑Stub’s 1810 oil on canvas, Alkyone venter forgæves sin bortrejste ægtefælle, presents a solitary female figure perched on a craggy cliff. She is swathed in a vivid red mantle over a pale blue dress, her head bowed on her hand, while a turbulent sea lashes the rocks below and storm clouds dominate the sky.
Subject & Meaning
The work draws on the classical myth of Alcyone, the grieving wife who, according to legend, awaited her departed husband in vain. Kratzenstein‑Stub captures her desolation through her isolated stance and the stark contrast between her exposed feet and the surrounding tempest, suggesting both vulnerability and steadfast longing.
Technique & Style
Executed in the manner of German Romanticism, the painting employs pronounced chiaroscuro to separate the luminous figure from the dark, roiling backdrop. The artist’s handling of light accentuates the folds of the red cloak and the delicate skin tones, while the brushwork on the sea and clouds conveys a sense of movement and emotional intensity.
History & Provenance
Created during the Danish Golden Age, the canvas reflects Kratzenstein‑Stub’s interest in mythological narratives. It entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, Denmark’s national gallery, where it remains part of the institution’s holdings of early‑19th‑century European painting.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein-Stub
Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein Stub (15 August 1783 – 24 July 1816), also written Kratzenstein-Stub, was a Danish Golden Age painter.
- Junge Frau am Meer
Alcyone Waiting in Vain for her Husband. Episode from Ovid: Metamorphoses
Alcyone's Farewell to her Husband. From Ovid's Metamorphoses, Song XI
Disillusion
Ariadne Abandoned by Theseus
Clytie
Sappho on the Leucadian Cliff
The Voyage of Life: Manhood
The Farewell of Telemachus and Eucharis
Corinne au Cap Misène
The Penitent Magdalene
The Shipwreck