Artwork
A Rye Field near Svanninge
A Rye Field near Svanninge is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Fritz Syberg. It dates from 1894 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes the expansive, golden-hued rye field as the central motif, framed by subtle spatial recession toward the distant structure.
The painting depicts a rye field situated near the village of Svanninge, set against a backdrop that includes a church building. The composition emphasizes the expansive, golden-hued rye field as the central motif, framed by subtle spatial recession toward the distant structure. The inclusion of the church suggests a connection to the rural Danish landscape and its cultural or religious context, anchoring the scene within a specific locality.
The work’s subdued palette and quiet atmosphere evoke a sense of calm and simplicity, characteristic of late 19th-century Danish landscape painting. By focusing on an everyday rural motif, the painting reflects a broader interest in national identity and the natural environment during the period.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1887, this landscape is rendered in oil paint on a canvas support. The work measures 41.0 cm in height and 60.5 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition depicts a rural scene featuring a field and a church building, characteristic of the genre painting classification assigned to the piece. The handling of the medium captures the specific topography of the Svanninge area through these formal elements.
History & Provenance
Fritz Syberg created the landscape painting A Rye Field near Svanninge in 1887. Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 410 cm in height and 605 cm in width. The painting depicts a field alongside a church building.
It is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work was later included in the exhibition From Golden Age to Cobra: 150 years of Danish Art.
A Rye Field near Svanninge is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The oil on canvas painting, created in 1887, measures 410.0 cm in height and 605.0 cm in width. It has been included in the exhibition From Golden Age to Cobra: 150 years of Danish Art.
Overview
Fritz Syberg’s 1894 oil painting A Rye Field near Svanninge portrays a rural landscape on the Danish island of Funen. The canvas captures a sun‑lit field of golden rye, a modest church with a dark steeple partially concealed by trees, and scattered vegetation in the foreground. The work belongs to the collection of Denmark’s National Gallery (Statens Museum for Kunst).
Context
The painting emerges from a period when Danish artists were moving beyond academic realism toward a freer, more expressive handling of color and form. Within the Funen circle, Syberg’s work reflects a shared interest in depicting local scenery with a personal, emotive touch, aligning with broader European post‑impressionist trends.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Syberg, generally known as Fritz Syberg, (28 July 1862, Fåborg – 20 December 1939, Kerteminde) was a Danish painter and illustrator, one of the or Funen Painters (Fynboerne) living and working on the…
