Artwork
Haven med den gamle døbefont
Haven med den gamle døbefont is an oil painting by the German Romanticist artist Jørgen Roed. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting shows a man and a woman positioned before an old baptismal font, a composition that alludes to themes of baptism and spiritual renewal.
The painting shows a man and a woman positioned before an old baptismal font, a composition that alludes to themes of baptism and spiritual renewal. The baptismal font itself serves as a symbolic element, representing the sacrament of baptism and its associated concepts of cleansing and rebirth. These visual motifs reflect the work's broader meaning within 19th-century religious art, emphasizing spiritual guidance and communal rites.
The work was created in 1850 by Jørgen Roed and is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 857.0 cm in width and 832.0 cm in height. It is housed in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it remains on display.
Subject & Meaning
Technique & Style
Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 832 cm in height and 857 cm in width. The handling aligns with mid-nineteenth-century academic practice, combining smooth modeling of figures with careful attention to the textures of garments and the reflective surface of the baptismal font. Stylistically, the composition balances naturalistic detail with a restrained, contemplative mood, focusing on the quiet interaction between the figures and the historical setting.
The subdued palette and controlled lighting contribute to a serene atmosphere, characteristic of Jørgen Roed’s approach to narrative scenes.
History & Provenance
Jørgen Roed created the oil painting Haven med den gamle døbefont (The Garden with the Old Baptismal Font) in 1850. Executed on canvas, the work depicts a man and a woman alongside a baptismal font within a garden setting. The painting currently resides in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is held as part of their permanent holdings.
No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its acquisition by the museum are provided in the available records.
The painting Haven med den gamle døbefont is held in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is also located. The work, created in 1850, is executed in oil paint on canvas and depicts a man, a woman, and a baptismal font. The provided sources do not contain specific inventory or accession numbers for the piece, nor do they list any exhibitions in which the work has been displayed.
Overview
Jørgen Roed’s oil painting Haven med den gamle døbefont, executed circa 1850, presents a quiet garden scene centered on an ancient stone baptismal font. A man in a blue shirt climbs a ladder toward a high branch, while a woman in a pink dress watches from below. The composition includes domestic details such as a basket, pecking chickens, and the weathered carvings on the fountain.
Context
The painting reflects a period when Danish artists often turned to rural settings to explore national identity and nostalgia. By integrating a historic baptismal font, Roed connects contemporary rural life with Denmark’s ecclesiastical heritage, a theme common in Romantic‑inspired works of the era.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jørgen Roed (13 January 1808 – 8 August 1888), Danish portrait and genre painter associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting, was born in Ringsted to Peder Jørgensen Roed and wife, Ellen Hansdatter.
