Artwork
Portrait of the architect Ferdinand Meldahl
Portrait of the architect Ferdinand Meldahl is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Peder Severin Krøyer. It dates from 1892 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting portrays the Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl, a figure associated with historicist design and 19th-century cultural institutions.
The painting portrays the Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl, a figure associated with historicist design and 19th-century cultural institutions. Rendered in oil on canvas, the work captures Meldahl in a manner reflecting his professional stature during a period when architectural discourse intersected with national identity formation in Scandinavia. Its creation coincides with broader movements in Nordic historicism, where built environments were imbued with symbolic significance tied to cultural heritage and civic pride.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on canvas, reflecting the academic portrait genre of the late 19th century. Krøyer applied layered brushwork to render Meldahl’s likeness with a restrained palette, emphasizing realistic facial detail and subtle chiaroscuro. The composition balances formal pose with naturalistic expression, characteristic of Danish portraiture of the period.
The painting measures 195 cm by 113.5 cm and remains in its original support, showing stable condition without visible degradation.
History & Provenance
The portrait was commissioned and painted in 1882 by Peder Severin Krøyer, who depicted the Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl.
It entered the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it remains held as part of the national collection. The work is recorded as part of the museum’s holdings with dimensions of 195 cm in height and 113.5 cm in width.
The painting is held by Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen, where it is inventoried as accession KMS3516.
It was exhibited in the 1880s group show I 1880-erne i nordisk maleri at the same museum, aligning with Krøyer’s mature portraiture of the period.
Overview
Peder Severin Krøyer painted an oil portrait of the Danish architect Ferdinand Meldahl in 1892. The work is part of the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, Denmark’s national gallery. It presents Meldahl in a formal interior, emphasizing his professional stature through attire and surroundings.
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