Adolf, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Declines the Offer to Accede to the Danish Throne. Copy after C. W. Eckersberg by Martinus Rørbye

Adolf, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Declines the Offer to Accede to the Danish Throne. Copy after C. W. Eckersberg 1825 - 1826

canvas

character art

3d character model

character photography

canvas

underpainting

painting painterly

watercolour illustration

green and neutral

portrait character photography

watercolor

warm toned green

"Adolf, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, Declines the Offer to Accede to the Danish Throne" is a 19th-century historical painting by Danish artist Martinus Rørbye. The painting depicts the moment when Adolf, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, rejects the offer to become King of Denmark. The scene is set in a grand, gothic-style hall, with the figures arranged in a formal composition. Rørbye's painting is a copy after a work by Danish painter C. W. Eckersberg, showcasing the stylistic influence of the prominent Golden Age artist. The work is currently held in the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst. This painting is a significant example of Danish Romanticism, a style that often focused on historical subjects and national identity.

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statensmuseumforkunst about 1 year ago

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The ageing Duke Adolf was offered the Danish throne, but refused due to his age, referring instead to his nephew, count Christian of Oldenburg, who was crowned King Christian I shortly afterwards. When the painting was donated to the museum in 2012 it was believed to be one of Eckersberg’s studies for his history paintings for Christiansborg Palace. However, doubts arose, and the museum carried out infrared camera studies. They revealed some very hesitant underdrawing beneath the paint, a trait often found in copies. This painting is not Eckersberg’s sketch, but a copy by Rørbye. The painting does not, then, showcase Eckersberg’s methods and artistic deliberations, but rather how a skilled student sought to appropriate his teacher’s manner and ways of structuring subject matter. It also reflects Eckersberg’s endeavours as royal history painter.