Artwork
Vinteraften ved Susåen
Vinteraften ved Susåen is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Frederik Vermehren. It dates from 1874 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a quiet winter evening along the Suså River, where a horse‑drawn wagon rests on a snow‑covered field beside a modest house.
The painting shows a quiet winter evening along the Suså River, where a horse‑drawn wagon rests on a snow‑covered field beside a modest house. Above, a pale sky is streaked with drifting clouds, emphasizing the stillness of the season. Vermehren’s careful rendering of the icy ground and the soft light suggests a moment of pause in rural life, while the river itself hints at the continuity of nature beneath the frozen surface.
Together these elements convey a sense of serene isolation and the modest resilience of the Danish countryside in the late nineteenth century.
Technique & Style
Vinteraften ved Susåen is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, a standard practice for mid‑19th‑century Danish landscapes. The work measures 289 × 356 cm and depicts a snow‑covered scene with a horse‑drawn wagon, a modest house, and the frozen Suså River under an expansive sky. Vermehren’s handling of light emphasizes the muted winter atmosphere, while the crisp delineation of the wagon and surrounding terrain creates a clear, almost linear composition.
The painting’s formal qualities combine realistic detail with a restrained palette, reflecting the academic approach to landscape that dominated the period.
History & Provenance
Frederik Vermehren created the oil painting Vinteraften ved Susåen in 1874. Executed on canvas, the work depicts a winter landscape featuring the Suså River, a horse-drawn wagon, and a house under a cloudy sky. The painting currently belongs to the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is held as part of their holdings.
No specific details regarding the original commission or intermediate ownership transfers prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.
Frederik Vermehren's 1874 oil painting, Vinteraften ved Susåen, is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark. The work is cataloged within the museum's holdings as a landscape painting executed on canvas, measuring 289 cm in height and 356 cm in width. The artwork depicts a winter scene featuring a horse-drawn wagon, a house, and the Suså River under a cloudy sky. No specific accession number or detailed exhibition history is provided in the available records.
Overview
Frederik Vermehren's 1874 oil painting, Vinteraften ved Susåen (Winter Evening by the Suså River), captures a tranquil winter evening along the Suså River. It depicts a quiet, snow-covered landscape under a cloudy sky, with a solitary horse-drawn wagon. The work reflects a blend of traditional Danish landscape painting with emerging stylistic trends, presenting a serene view of rural life at dusk.
Context
Vinteraften ved Susåen belongs to the Danish Golden Age of Painting, a period characterized by a focus on national identity and romanticized portrayals of the countryside. Vermehren, though primarily a realist painter of everyday life and portraits, contributed to this tradition with his landscapes. This work exemplifies the era's appreciation for the natural beauty and quiet dignity of Danish rural scenes, often imbued with a sense of national pride.
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.
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