Artwork
Hos pantelåneren
Hos pantelåneren is an oil painting by Frants Henningsen. It dates from 1897 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays a pawnbroker seated at his counter while a woman and child look on, capturing a moment of everyday poverty in late 19th‑century Denmark.
The painting portrays a pawnbroker seated at his counter while a woman and child look on, capturing a moment of everyday poverty in late 19th‑century Denmark. The scene reflects contemporary social concerns about economic hardship and the role of charitable institutions in urban life. Henningsen’s realistic rendering emphasizes the dignity and vulnerability of the figures, inviting viewers to contemplate the social conditions of the era.
The composition uses careful detail to highlight the pawnbroker’s trade and the familial relationship between the woman and child, underscoring themes of dependence and survival. This focus on ordinary citizens illustrates the genre‑scene tradition of documenting everyday social interactions.
The work is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is displayed as an example of Danish genre painting from 1893. Its iconography, featuring a pawnbroker, woman, and child, serves as a visual commentary on the economic struggles of the period.
Technique & Style
Hos pantelåneren is an oil painting executed on canvas by Frants Henningsen in 1893. The work measures 90 cm in height and 137 cm in width. Classified as a genre scene, the painting depicts a pawnbroker alongside a man, a woman, and a child.
The medium of oil paint on canvas supports the detailed narrative focus characteristic of the genre art classification.
History & Provenance
The painting Hos pantelåneren was created by Frants Henningsen in 1893. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 90 cm in height and 137 cm in width. It depicts a scene involving a pawnbroker, a man, a woman, and a child. The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
The painting Hos pantelåneren is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. Created by Frants Henningsen in 1893, the work is executed in oil on canvas and measures 90 cm in height by 137 cm in width. The museum serves as both the current location and the holding institution for this genre scene, which depicts figures including a pawnbroker, a man, a woman, and a child.
While the work's inclusion in the museum's collection is documented, specific inventory numbers or details regarding past exhibition history are not provided in the available records.
Overview
Frants Henningsen’s 1897 oil painting Hos pantelåneren captures a cramped interior that functions as a pawnshop or small lending office. The composition centers on a man in a dark, glossy coat holding a document, surrounded by a family and onlookers amid shelves of books and assorted objects. Dim lighting and cluttered surroundings convey a sense of confinement, while a single lamp provides the only illumination.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Frants Peter Diderik Henningsen (22 June 1850, Copenhagen – 20 March 1908, Copenhagen) was a Danish painter, illustrator and professor.
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Scene from a beer-house or a tavern- Hos pantelåneren
