Scandinavian Oil Studies and a Portrait Carl-Johan Olsson Curator, Paintings and Sculpture Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Stockholm Volume 21 Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Photo Credits Every effort has been made by the publisher to is published with generous support from © Palazzo d’Arco, Mantua, inv. 4494/Photo: credit organizations and individuals with regard the Friends of the Nationalmuseum. Nationalmuseum Image Archives, from Domenico to the supply of photographs. Please notify the Fetti 1588/89–1623, Eduard Safarik (ed.), Milan, publisher regarding corrections. Nationalmuseum collaborates with 1996, p. 280, fig. 82 (Figs. 2 and 9A, pp. 13 and Svenska Dagbladet and Grand Hôtel Stockholm. 19) Graphic Design We would also like to thank FCB Fältman & © Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow BIGG Malmén. (Fig. 3, p. 13) © bpk/Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden/ Layout Cover Illustrations Elke Estel/Hans-Peter Klut (Figs. 4, 5B, 6B and Agneta Bervokk Domenico Fetti (1588/89–1623), David with the 7B, pp. 14–17) Head of Goliath, c. 1617/20. Oil on canvas, © Digital image courtesy of the Getty’s Open Translation and Language Editing 161 x 99.5 cm. Purchase: The Wiros Fund. Content Program (Figs. 8 and 10B, pp. 18 and Gabriella Berggren, Martin Naylor and Kristin Nationalmuseum, NM 7280. 20) Belkin. © CATS-SMK (Fig. 10A, p. 20) Publisher © Dag Fosse/KODE (p. 25) Publishing Berndt Arell, Director General © Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design/ Ingrid Lindell (Publications Manager) and The National Museum of Art, Architecture and Janna Herder (Editor). Editor Design, Oslo (p. 28) Janna Herder © SMK Photo (p. 31) Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum is published © From the article ”La Tour and Lundberg’s annually and contains articles on the history and Editorial Committee portraits of la princesse de Rohan”, by Neil Jeffares, theory of art relating to the collections of the Mikael Ahlund, Magdalena Gram, Janna Herder, http://www.pastellists.com/Essays/LaTour_ Nationalmuseum. Helena Kåberg, Magnus Olausson and Lidia Rohan.pdf, 2015-09-21, (p. 40) Westerberg Olofsson. © The National Gallery, London. Bought, Cour- Nationalmuseum tauld Fund, 1924 (p. 42) Box 16176 Photographs © Stockholms Auktionsverk (p. 47) SE–103 24 Stockholm, Sweden Nationalmuseum Photographic Studio/ © Bukowskis, Stockholm (p. 94) www.nationalmuseum.se Linn Ahlgren, Olle Andersson, Erik Cornelius, © Thron Ullberg 2008 (p. 108) © Nationalmuseum, the authors and the owners Anna Danielsson, Cecilia Heisser, Bodil Karlsson © 2014, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg of the reproduced works and Sofia Persson. (pp. 133–134) © Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie Dessau (pp. 138–139) Picture Editor © Museen der Stadt Bamberg (pp. 140 and 142) Rikard Nordström © Archive of Thomas Fusenig (p. 141) © Nordiska museet, Stockholm/Karolina Kristensson (pp. 148–149) Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Volume 21, 2014 4 acquisitions/scandinavian oil studies and a portrait Scandinavian Oil Studies and a Portrait Carl-Johan Olsson Curator, Paintings and Sculpture Fig. 1 Johan Christian Dahl (1788–1857), View Towards Vesuvius from a Terrace at Quisisana, 1820. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 cm. Purchase: The Wiros Fund. Nationalmuseum, NM 7287. 23 Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Volume 21, 2014 acquisitions/scandinavian oil studies and a portrait In the past year, the Nationalmuseum firmly rooted in the Arcadian tradition of Johan Christian Dahl (1788–1857) was has acquired a number of strong works by the ideal landscape, it was considered im- born and grew up in Bergen in Norway. Scandinavian artists active in the first half portant for artists to familiarise themselves He decided early on to try his hand as a of the 19th century: a portrait by Chris- with the smallest components of nature professional artist, beginning his career as ten Købke, and oil studies of landscapes before, as it were, creating their own artis- an apprentice to a decorative painter. Af- by Constantin Hansen, Martinus Rørbye, tic versions of it from scratch. This they did ter that, since Norway had no art academy Thomas Fearnley, Johan Christian Dahl in oil studies. of its own at this point, Dahl had to travel and Peter Christian Skovgaard (attribu- On what grounds can an oil study be to Copenhagen. He remained in Denmark ted). The Museum already had some fine said to hold a unique position, giving it a for seven years, counting Christoffer Wil- examples of such pictures in its possession, particular attraction even to a present-day helm Eckersberg (1783–1853) among his but had long wished to supplement its col- observer? The explanation could concei- teachers. On completing his studies, Dahl lection so as to convey the full breadth of vably lie in the immediacy of the represen- would have preferred to return to his nati- a period whose importance is steadily gai- tation that became possible as artists star- ve Norway, but the prospects of making a ning recognition. Works from this period ted to work in oils directly in front of the living as an artist there were poor. Conse- are among those most sought after by mu- motif. They could now communicate, with quently, in September 1818 he left Copen- seums and private collectors alike – a fact a light hand and in colours that were true hagen for Dresden, where he planned his reflected, not least, in the way prices have to nature, their personal experience of first extended stay. He would eventually developed in recent decades. the landscape. What had previously been spend the rest of his life there, but that With the paintings now added to the depicted mainly topographically could is another story. Dahl had barely been in collection, the Nationalmuseum is able to now be formed into an image without ha- the city for two years before he set off on get across more clearly the significance of ving to exclude lighting and atmospheric a journey to Italy. In those two years, he the journeys to the south of Europe which effects. And as these studies were not pri- had become a close friend of Caspar Da- many artists embarked on in the first half marly intended to be either sold or shown vid Friedrich (1774–1840), and through of the 19th century. Their hope was that to the public, there was, equally, no need him got to know artists such as Carl Gustav such travels would foster their develop- to concern oneself with pictorial conven- Carus (1789–1869). Dahl’s close contacts ment to such a degree that they would be tions of any kind. The subjects, moreover, with the inner circle of German Roman- able to live by their art on their return. often seem to have been chosen for per- ticism would prove significant for his sub- Given the complicated and exceptional sonal reasons, primarily with what appears sequent creative output – not least for the nature of travel at that time, they set off to have been the eye of the enchanted tra- work he did in Italy, and perhaps, in parti- with highly sharpened senses, ready to be veller. That enchantment, we may assume, cular, for the study recently acquired by the assailed by a host of impressions of great partly explains the immense technical skill Nationalmuseum. Dahl left Dresden for Ita- intensity. En route, they documented their which many artists developed in their oil ly on 13 June 1820. The day before, he had experiences in drawings, oil studies and studies. Overwhelming encounters with married – a circumstance that would colour diary entries. The drawings and diaries are new views were a source of intense inspi- his Italian trip, making him intensely home- undeniably a rich and fascinating source ration, and the time aspect made the hand sick and causing him to return earlier than of information, but the oil studies hold a holding the brush – perhaps more than planned.2 unique interest in this context. ever before in art history – an extension of On 10 August Dahl arrived in Naples, Oil studies, in the sense used here, are the eye. The combination of enchantment travelling to Castellamare and the coun- studies painted in the open air.1 They have and naturalistic representation is probably try palace of Quisisana the following day. their origins, crucially, in the late 18th cen- the reason these studies often came to be He had been invited to the palace as the tury, when French artists, led by Pierre-Hen- regarded as valuable souvenirs, kept by the guest of the Danish crown prince Christi- ri de Valenciennes (1750–1819), began pa- artists for the rest of their lives. It may also an Frederick. Dahl had become acquain- inting in oils en plein air. The aim was not explain why the experience they convey ted with the prince during his student days to produce finished works, but to gather seems intact to the modern-day viewer. in Copenhagen, and the two had also met material for use in the studio. In these stu- The first three paintings that will be in Dresden. The first day of his visit Dahl dies, the artists focused either on details considered here are precisely such ima- was alone at Quisisana, as the prince and such as vegetation and rock formations, or ges from travels to the South. They depict his court were visiting Naples. He spent on views recorded in different lights and tourist attractions that were either visited the day painting the view from his room, atmospheric conditions. Although the fi- during extended stays or passed along the seen through the window frame (Fig. 2).3 nished works were, at the time, still quite way. The small view which the Nationalmuseum Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Volume 21, 2014 24 acquisitions/scandinavian oil studies and a portrait has now acquired is dated 16 August, which means that Dahl painted it on his sixth day, or rather evening, at Quisisana (Fig.