Artwork
En gammel fisker der om aftenen sætter sine garn ud
En gammel fisker der om aftenen sætter sine garn ud is an oil painting by Jørgen Sonne. It dates from 1844 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the fisher working with his fishing net near a boat, accompanied by a woman and a child, with a house visible in the surroundings.
The painting depicts an elderly fisherman setting out his nets in the evening, a scene of everyday maritime labor rendered as genre art. The composition centers on the fisher working with his fishing net near a boat, accompanied by a woman and a child, with a house visible in the surroundings. The grouping of the working fisherman with family members and domestic architecture situates the work within the tradition of Danish genre painting, where humble coastal routines are observed with quiet narrative attention.
The evening setting of the title, the moment when nets are set out, lends the scene a transitional, contemplative character, marking the close of the day's labor rather than its peak activity. By focusing on an aged fisherman rather than a youthful or heroic figure, the work emphasizes the dignity of ordinary aging and the continuity of household life tied to the rhythms of the sea.
Technique & Style
En gammel fisker der om aftenen sætter sine garn ud is an oil painting executed on canvas, a medium characteristic of Jørgen Sonne's mid-1840s practice. The work is classified as a genre scene, depicting a fisher handling nets alongside a boat, a woman, a child, and a house.
The canvas measures 758.0 in height by 937.0 in width, giving it a horizontal orientation suited to the expansive evening shoreline setting. The use of oil paint allows for the layered tonal handling typical of Sonne's narrative scenes, in which figures are integrated into a coastal landscape. The painting is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
En gammel fisker der om aftenen sætter sine garn ud was created by the Danish artist Jørgen Sonne in 1844, executed in oil paint on canvas. The work depicts a genre scene of an old fisherman setting out his nets in the evening, accompanied by a woman, a child, a boat, and a house in the surrounding setting.
The painting is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst (the National Gallery of Denmark), which is also listed as its current location. No information regarding commission, intermediate ownership, or acquisition history is documented in the available sources.
Overview
Jørgen Sonne, a Danish genre painter, completed En gammel fisker der om aftenen sætter sine garn ud in 1844. This oil painting portrays an elderly fisherman engaged in his evening task of setting nets from a small boat, observed by a nearby child. The scene is imbued with a sense of quietude, capturing a moment of daily life against the backdrop of a setting sun. The work is part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jørgen Valentin Sonne (24 June 1801 – 24 September 1890) was a Danish genre painter; known primarily for his battle scenes.
