Artwork
Hother
Hother is an oil painting by the Realist artist Fritz Thomsen. It dates from 1853 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
This animal functions symbolically within the work, embodying themes of strength and movement that were of interest to the artist in the mid‑nineteenth century.
The painting depicts a horse, rendered in oil on canvas, that stands as the central subject. This animal functions symbolically within the work, embodying themes of strength and movement that were of interest to the artist in the mid‑nineteenth century. The horse is presented without additional iconographic attributes, allowing its formal qualities and the painterly treatment to convey meaning through representation rather than narrative allegory.
The composition is housed in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is catalogued as an example of animal art from 1853. Its dimensions are recorded as 450 cm in height and 550 cm in width, matching the documented scale of the canvas.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, measuring 450 cm in height by 550 cm in width. It portrays a horse and belongs to the animal art genre. Created in 1853 by Fritz Thomsen, the piece is part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Hother was created by Fritz Thomsen in 1853. Executed in oil on canvas, the work belongs to the genre of animal art and depicts a horse. It is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The dimensions of the piece are recorded as 450 cm in height and 550 cm in width.
Overview
Fritz Thomsen’s 1853 oil work, titled Hother, portrays a solitary white horse within the confines of a dim stable. The composition centers on the animal, whose luminous coat contrasts sharply with the surrounding shadows, drawing immediate visual focus. Two figures flank the scene, a man in a dark uniform with a peaked cap and another in riding attire, both attending to the horse as it stands poised.
Context
Mid‑nineteenth‑century Danish painting often explored rural and agrarian themes, aligning with broader European trends that valorized the pastoral and the working class. Thomsen’s focus on a stable interior situates the work within this cultural milieu, offering a glimpse into contemporary attitudes toward animal husbandry and the visual language of care.
Artist & collection
