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View of Pårup Moors near Silkeborg, Jutland by Hans Friis

Hans Friis · 1868-01-01

Hans Friis's View of Pårup Moors near Silkeborg, Jutland, 1868, is an oil painting held at the Statens Museum for Kunst. This seemingly tranquil landscape caused significant controversy upon its debut, impacting the artist's career.

The painting depicts a solitary man, Hans Friis himself, on a heath with his dog and a basket, suggesting a moment of quiet contemplation. Look at the vast, muted tones of the heathland stretching to the horizon and the softly rendered cloudy sky.

When exhibited, the painting was met with outrage. Friis's unvarnished portrayal of himself in a humble setting and his modern style were seen as radical and offensive by critics and the public alike, damaging his reputation.

This work, now considered a significant example of Danish landscape art, reveals the societal resistance to artistic change.

Details

A man sits on a rocky outcrop.
A man sits on a rocky outcrop.
The man's name was Hans Friis.
The man's name was Hans Friis.
The expansive, muted tones of the heath create a sense of depth and the wild, untamed nature of the location.
The expansive, muted tones of the heath create a sense of depth and the wild, untamed nature of the location.
Transcript

A man sits on a rocky outcrop. His black dog lies close beside him. A wicker basket suggests he is traveling. The artist painted this in 1868. The man's name was Hans Friis. This serene landscape caused scandal. The public hated Friis's radical honesty.