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Paintings and drawings from the 17th to the 19th century
Christian Albrecht Jensen (Bredsted, 1791 - København, 1870)
Portrait of a young girl
About 1823-1825.
Oil on canvas.
H. 29 ; L. 19.
Set against a dark background, the young woman is portrayed with a dreamy expression and distant gaze. The artist skilfully plays with the complementary contrast of the green dress and the red shawl, which responds to the very fine coral earrings.
Known for his many highly sought-after portraits of the Danish elite in the early 19th century, Christian Albrecht Jensen can be described as the "Boilly of the North" in the golden age of Danish painting.
Jensen shared with his French colleague the smallness of his formats, limiting the time needed to pose the model and then execute the painting. The low cost of these small portraits, coupled with a fashion effect resulting from a growing clientele, contributed to the fame of the young Jensen.
After an apprenticeship lasting several years in Italy, Jensen was unknown to the general public when he returned to Copenhagen at the end of 1822. However, his rapid and sure specialisation as a prolific portrait painter ensured him almost instant success. He painted over 400 portraits during his career, representing most of the leading figures of the time, including the writer Hans Christian Andersen, the painter Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, the physicist Hans Christian Ørsted, the mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss and the theologian Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig.
Although an early portrait, it bears eloquent witness to Jensen's personal style from the outset. The young woman is depicted with a skilful economy of means. Using a cold palette, a straightforward brushstroke and a certain humility in the choice of attitude, Jensen focuses on the humanity of his model, praising simplicity and eliminating all superfluous elements.
Illustration :
Christian Albrecht Jensen, portrait of Mathilde Theresia von Irgens-Bergh, 1824, oil on canvas, 24,5x19,5 cm, Statens Museum for Kunst, Danemark (Inv. KMS1339).
