Artwork
Changing of the Guard
Changing of the Guard is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Erik Henningsen. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Changing of the Guard is an 1888 oil-on-canvas painting by Erik Henningsen that depicts a military scene featuring a boy, a basket, a drum, soldiers, a building, a man, a military band, and a cymbal. The assembled iconography, the drum, cymbal, and uniformed soldiers, points to a ceremonial guard relief captured at the moment a new detachment takes up its post, with the boy and basket introducing a civilian, everyday presence into the otherwise formal military setting. By placing ordinary figures alongside the pageantry of the guard ceremony, the work registers the intersection of military ritual and daily street life in late nineteenth-century Copenhagen, a recurring concern in Henningsen's socially observant painting.
Technique & Style
Created in 1888 by Erik Henningsen, Changing of the Guard is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 90 centimeters in height and 148.5 centimeters in width. It depicts a military scene featuring soldiers, a boy with a drum, a basket, and a band playing cymbals in front of a building. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
Its creation is documented as having taken place in the same year, with the museum’s records noting the medium and dimensions.
Erik Henningsen painted "Changing of the Guard" in 1888, an oil on canvas work measuring 90 cm by 148.5 cm. The painting entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display. Its creation is documented as having taken place in the same year, with the museum’s records noting the medium and dimensions. No evidence of a specific commission or subsequent private ownership is recorded in the available sources; the museum’s catalog entry confirms its presence in the institution’s holdings.
Overview
Erik Henningsen's 1894 oil painting, Changing of the Guard, captures a lively street scene featuring a military procession. The composition centers on a young boy holding a drum, a smaller child peeking from a basket, and uniformed soldiers. This work exemplifies Henningsen's observational approach to everyday life, a characteristic of his broader output. The painting is part of the collection at Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark.
Context
Erik Henningsen was a Danish painter and illustrator active in the late 19th century. He gained recognition for his Social Realist canvases, which frequently documented the lives of marginalized communities during the 1880s and 1890s. While Changing of the Guard focuses on a public event rather than explicit social commentary, it aligns with his interest in depicting contemporary life. Henningsen was also the younger brother of fellow artist Frants Henningsen.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Erik Ludvig Henningsen (29 August 1855 – 28 November 1930) was a Danish painter and illustrator.
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