Artwork
Den gamle mand ved spedelyset
Den gamle mand ved spedelyset is an oil painting by the Post-Impressionist artist H. A. Brendekilde. It dates from 1900 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. H.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The arrangement of the man, the candle, and the book suggests a theme of contemplation or the passage of time within a domestic setting.
The painting depicts an elderly man seated at a table beside a candle, illuminated against a dark interior. The composition includes specific objects such as a book, a window, and a chair, arranged to focus attention on the solitary figure. As a portrait genre work, the scene captures a moment of quiet introspection or study by the light of the single flame.
The arrangement of the man, the candle, and the book suggests a theme of contemplation or the passage of time within a domestic setting.
Technique & Style
Den gamle mand ved spedelyset is an oil painting executed on canvas in 1898. The work measures 103.5 cm in height and 92 cm in width, as recorded in the museum’s catalog. It belongs to the portrait genre and was created by H. A. Brendekilde, who employed oil paint to render a candle‑lit scene that includes a man, a book, a window, a table and a chair.
The composition emphasizes the interplay of light and shadow on the figure’s face, while the surrounding objects suggest a domestic interior. The painting is part of the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1898, the work is an oil on canvas portrait measuring 103.5 cm by 92 cm. It was created by H. A. Brendekilde using oil paint on canvas. The composition shows a man seated at a table with a book, illuminated by a candle, observed through a window. The painting is part of the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. The work is dated to 1898, with an inception date recorded as 1898‑01‑01.
The painting Den gamle mand ved spedelyset is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work, created by H. A. Brendekilde in 1898, is part of the museum's collection. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records, nor is there documented exhibition history for this piece in the current sources.
Overview
H. A. Brendekilde's oil painting, Den gamle mand ved spedelyset (The Old Man by the Candlelight), created in 1900, captures a quiet interior scene. This portrait depicts an elderly man seated in a dimly lit room, engrossed in a moment of contemplation or study. The work is part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst.
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