Artwork
Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, f. Bastholm. Maleren N.A. Abildgaards moder
Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, f. Bastholm. Maleren N.A. Abildgaards moder is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jens Juel. It dates from 1791 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is a portrait depicting Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, born Bastholm, who is identified as the mother of the painter Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard.
The work is a portrait depicting Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, born Bastholm, who is identified as the mother of the painter Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard. Created by Jens Juel in 1781, the painting presents the sitter as a woman, adhering to the conventions of 18th-century portraiture. The title explicitly establishes the subject's identity and her familial relationship to a prominent artist, framing the image as a commemoration of her role within that artistic lineage.
The composition focuses on her likeness without additional narrative elements or symbolic attributes described in the available records.
Technique & Style
The portrait is painted in oil on canvas, measuring 71 cm in height and 55.5 cm in width.
Handling and technique reflect Jens Juel’s characteristic smooth, blended brushwork and subtle modeling of form, typical of late eighteenth-century Danish portraiture. The sitter’s features are rendered with careful attention to physiognomic detail, while the subdued palette and restrained chiaroscuro emphasize quiet dignity. The composition is direct and frontal, focusing attention on the subject’s expression and attire without extraneous background elements.
History & Provenance
The portrait was painted by Jens Juel in 1781, as recorded in both the museum’s internal documentation and the work’s Wikidata entry.
It entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, where it remains held. The painting measures 71 cm by 55.5 cm and depicts Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, née Bastholm, who is identified as the mother of the Danish portraitist Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard.
The portrait of Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, painted by Jens Juel in 1781, is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst. The work is executed in oil on canvas and measures 71 cm in height by 55.5 cm in width.
The provided sources do not contain specific inventory or accession numbers for the painting, nor do they list any exhibition history.
Overview
Created in 1791, this oil-on-canvas portrait was painted by Jens Juel, Denmark’s pre‑eminent portraitist of the late eighteenth century. The work depicts Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, née Bastholm, who was the mother of the painter N.A. Abildgaard. It is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst and exemplifies the Rococo aesthetic that prevailed in Danish courtly portraiture at the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jens Juel (12 May 1745 – 27 December 1802) was a Danish painter, primarily known for his many portraits, of which the largest collection is on display at Frederiksborg Castle.
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Old Woman with a Muff- Ane Margrethe Abildgaard, f. Bastholm. Maleren N.A. Abildgaards moder