Artwork
A Sower
A Sower is an oil painting by the Realist artist Frederik Vermehren. It dates from 1859 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The inclusion of the church alongside the sower and his animals suggests a thematic connection between daily toil and spiritual or communal structures.
Frederik Vermehren's 1859 painting A Sower depicts a rural scene centered on a man sowing seeds in a field. The composition includes several distinct elements: a horse, a dog, and a church building situated within the landscape. These figures collectively establish the work as a representation of agricultural labor set against a backdrop of Danish countryside life and religious presence.
The inclusion of the church alongside the sower and his animals suggests a thematic connection between daily toil and spiritual or communal structures.
Technique & Style
Frederik Vermehren's A Sower, created in 1859, is an oil painting executed on a canvas support. The work measures 76 cm in height and 89 cm in width. Visually, the composition depicts a rural scene featuring a man sowing, accompanied by a horse and a dog within a field, with a church building visible in the background. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
A Sower was created by Frederik Vermehren in 1859, executed in oil paint on canvas. The work entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is currently held. No further details regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or chain of custody prior to its acquisition by the museum are documented in the available sources.
A Sower is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. The painting, created by Frederik Vermehren in 1859, depicts a man sowing seeds in a field accompanied by a horse, a dog, and a church building in the background.
Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 76 cm in height and 89 cm in width. The provided sources confirm its location within the museum but do not list a specific inventory number or detail any past exhibitions.
Overview
Frederik Vermehren's 1859 oil painting, A Sower, captures a scene of rural labor. The realist work portrays a man engaged in sowing seeds in a field, accompanied by a black dog. In the background, a horse pulls a plow, turning the soil, with a church visible in the distance under a clear blue sky. This piece exemplifies Vermehren's focus on depicting ordinary country life.
Context
As a prominent Danish genre and portrait painter, Frederik Vermehren was active during the Golden Age of Danish Painting. His artistic output often concentrated on scenes of ordinary country life, including the daily routines of farmers. This focus was integral to the national romanticism movement, which sought to celebrate and idealize aspects of Danish national identity and heritage through art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Johan Frederik (Frits) Nikolai Vermehren, also known as Frederik Vermehren (12 May 1823 – 10 January 1910), a genre and portrait painter in the realist style.
