Who painted Familien Nathanson?

Familien Nathanson was painted by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg in 1818-01-01.

Where can I see Familien Nathanson?

Familien Nathanson is held by Statens Museum for Kunst.

What movement is Familien Nathanson?

Familien Nathanson is associated with Biedermeier.

Artwork

Familien Nathanson

Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg , 1818

Familien Nathanson is an oil painting by the Biedermeier artist Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Specific interior elements include a carpet, a piano, a stove, and a door, which collectively establish the family's bourgeois environment.

Painted in 1818, this group portrait depicts the family of Mendel Levin Nathanson, who commissioned the work. The composition features a woman, a girl, and a child situated within a domestic living room setting. Specific interior elements include a carpet, a piano, a stove, and a door, which collectively establish the family's bourgeois environment.

A whip is also present among the depicted objects. As a formal group portrait, the painting serves as a representation of the Nathanson household, capturing its members and their immediate surroundings to document their social standing and family unity during the early nineteenth century.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 146.7 cm in height and 196.7 cm in width, as recorded in the museum catalogue and the artist’s entry. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg employed a realist technique that emphasizes precise brushwork and subtle modeling of light, rendering the interior domestic setting with meticulous detail. The painting belongs to the genre of group portrait and depicts a mother, daughter and son within a lived‑in living room, incorporating elements such as a carpet, piano, stove and a whip, which underscore the narrative of bourgeois family life. Its formal composition balances intimate figures against a richly textured background, creating a cohesive spatial unity.

History & Provenance

The oil painting Familien Nathanson was created in 1818 by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. It was commissioned directly by the subject of the portrait, Mendel Levin Nathanson. The work depicts Nathanson alongside a woman, a girl, and a child within an interior setting featuring a living room, piano, and stove.

Executed in oil on canvas, the group portrait measures approximately 146.7 cm in height and 196.7 cm in width. Following its creation, the painting entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains located. The work is classified as a portrait and specifically as a group portrait, capturing the family members in their domestic environment.

The painting Familien Nathanson is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it is also located. Commissioned by Mendel Levin Nathanson and completed in 1818, the oil-on-canvas work depicts a group portrait within a domestic interior. While the sources confirm its current institutional home and original patron, they do not provide a specific inventory or accession number, nor do they list any past or present exhibitions for the piece.

Overview

Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, a foundational figure in Danish art, completed Familien Nathanson in 1818. This oil painting captures a family group, offering a glimpse into domestic life of the period. The work is considered a significant example from an artist often recognized for his foundational role in Danish painting, showcasing his approach to portraiture and genre scenes.

Artist & collection

Artist

Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg

Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (2 January 1783 – 22 July 1853) was a Danish painter.

Museum

Statens Museum for Kunst

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