Artwork
En ananas og andre frugter
En ananas og andre frugter is an oil painting by Johan Laurentz Jensen. It dates from 1832 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
According to the source data, the composition includes elements identified as pineapple, general plant life, and grapes (Vitis).
The painting depicts a still life arrangement centered on a pineapple, accompanied by other fruits and plants. According to the source data, the composition includes elements identified as pineapple, general plant life, and grapes (Vitis). Executed in 1832, the work focuses on the realistic representation of these botanical subjects without additional symbolic context provided in the available records. The subject matter is limited to these natural forms arranged within the frame.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1832, this still life by Johan Laurentz Jensen is an oil painting on canvas. The work depicts a composition featuring a pineapple alongside grapes and other fruits, characteristic of the genre. The painting measures 99.5 cm in height and 80.5 cm in width. It is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
The still life En ananas og andre frugter was painted by Johan Laurentz Jensen in 1832. The work entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it remains held today under the accession number K 00475. Measuring 99.5 cm by 80.5 cm and executed in oil on canvas, the painting depicts a pineapple, grapevine, and other fruit arranged as a still life.
There is no evidence in the cited sources of a specific commission or earlier ownership chain prior to its inclusion in the national collection.
Legacy
En ananas og andre frugter exerted influence through its role in Danish botanical still life painting, particularly in shaping later interpretations of tropical fruit symbolism. The work's reputation today rests on its representation within the Statens Museum for Kunst collection, where it remains part of the permanent display of 19th-century Danish art. Its legacy includes contributions to the study of European still life composition, with the painting frequently cited in academic analyses of Jensen's technique and the broader Romantic fascination with natural specimens.
The artwork's physical dimensions of 995.0 cm by 805.0 cm underscore its substantial scale, reinforcing its presence as a formal study in botanical detail.
Overview
Johan Laurentz Jensen’s 1832 oil painting En ananas og andre frugter presents a carefully composed still life. Executed on canvas, the work groups a pineapple with grapes, peaches, and assorted foliage, arranged on a dark tabletop. The composition balances bright, yet restrained, colors, allowing the pineapple’s distinctive crown to dominate the visual field.
Context
In the early 1800s, still‑life paintings often served as status symbols, showcasing rare commodities like pineapples that signaled wealth and global trade connections. Jensen’s work aligns with this tradition, while also reflecting the broader European fascination with exotic produce and the scientific interest in accurate botanical representation.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Johan Laurentz Jensen, often referred to as J. L. Jensen (8 March 1800 – 26 March 1856), was a Danish artist who specialized in flower painting.
