Young Girl

We present today's painting thanks to our favorite Skagens Kunstmuseer, where from 21 April 2018 to 26 August 2018 you can see the exhibition, Michael Ancher and the women of Skagen which focuses on Michael Ancher’s many portraits of women, which constitute a large, but overlooked group of motifs in his oeuvre. Enjoy!

Michael Ancher’s name is often associated with monumental and dramatic depictions of the fishermen of Skagen. An oft-overlooked aspect of Ancher’s art and imagery, however, is his many depictions of women. In this painting from 1887, Ancher has positioned his model with her face turned away from the light. This original move creates a very distinctive effect as the sun adds a golden sheen to the pale blonde hair and catches the red edge of the shawl where it bends at her shoulder. We sense the heat of the sun on her back as the silver earring shines a brilliant white and the thinnest parts of the ear blush with the light that shoots through it. In the shade, the face is hinted at by means of more uniform colors. The sitter is the twelve-year-old Maren Brems, who at this point already had been a maid in the Ancher household for three years. Her domestic chores were often replaced by work as a model, and in this case Ancher has made optimum use of her delicate colouring in a masterful play of light and color reminiscent of the pastels created by his wife, the painter Anna Ancher.

To see more beautiful paintings from Skagens Museum, we invite you to have a look at an article about Marie and Peder Severin Krøyer. Enjoy!