Artwork
The Art Historian N. L. Høyen
The Art Historian N. L. Høyen is an oil painting by the Realist artist Wilhelm Marstrand. It dates from 1868 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Executed in oil on canvas, the work is a straightforward portrait that presents Høyen without any recorded symbolic attributes or allegorical elements.
The painting depicts Niels Laurits Høyen, the Danish art historian, as its sole figure. Executed in oil on canvas, the work is a straightforward portrait that presents Høyen without any recorded symbolic attributes or allegorical elements. Consequently, the image functions primarily as a likeness commemorating the sitter’s identity and his role within the Danish art‑historical community of the mid‑nineteenth century.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in oil paint on a canvas support, measuring 129 cm high by 98 cm wide. As a portrait commissioned in 1868, it follows Wilhelm Marstrand’s academic approach, emphasizing a faithful likeness of the art historian Niels Laurits Høyen through precise drawing and subdued, layered brushwork that models the face and clothing in soft tonal transitions. The handling shows a controlled, smooth application typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century Danish portraiture, with attention to the sitter’s expression and the texture of fabrics. No condition issues are noted in the sources.
History & Provenance
Wilhelm Marstrand executed the oil-on-canvas portrait of art historian Niels Laurits Høyen in 1868. The work was created during the final year of the artist's life, capturing the likeness of the prominent Danish cultural figure. Following its completion, the painting entered the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it remains held today. The canvas measures 129 cm in height and 98 cm in width.
The painting is held by Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, where it is recorded with inventory number KMS3193. It has not been recorded in major international touring exhibitions, remaining within the museum’s permanent holdings since its acquisition in 1868.
Overview
Wilhelm Marstrand completed an oil portrait of Niels Laurits Høyel in 1868. Executed during the Danish Golden Age, the work exemplifies the realist approach that dominated the period. The canvas is part of the Statens Museum for Kunst’s holdings, representing a formal depiction of a leading figure in Denmark’s art historiography.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolai Wilhelm Marstrand (24 December 1810 – 25 March 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith.
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