Christian I Raising the Province of Holstein to the State of a Duchy in 1460 1778
nicolaiabildgaard
statensmuseumforkunst
canvas
character pose
imaginative character sketch
character art
canvas
underpainting
child character design
painting painterly
watercolour bleed
watercolour illustration
colour experimentation
watercolor
"Christian I Raising the Province of Holstein to the State of a Duchy in 1460" is a historical painting by Nicolai Abildgaard, a prominent Danish artist. The artwork depicts the historical moment in 1460 when King Christian I of Denmark raised the province of Holstein to the status of a duchy. Abildgaard's depiction of this historical event, created in 1778, uses a neoclassical style that emphasizes clarity and order, showcasing the artist's keen attention to detail in the costumes and setting. The painting is held in the SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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During 1778-91 Abildgaard created ten large paintings for the Great Hall at Christiansborg Palace. He had hoped to be painting dramatic scenes from ancient Danish legends. But the king’s counsellors wanted depictions of the history of the current royal family, the Oldenburgs, and the paintings were to reflect the position of the reigning king. Thus, the kings were to be presented as fair legislators, administrators, and builders. For example, the painting of Christian I was to be a symbolic image accentuating the close ties between Denmark and the Duchy of Holstein. Only one scene gave Abildgaard the opportunity to paint a dramatic episode: King Christian IV on the ship The Trinity (no. 3, r). He never got to paint scenes from legend. In the palace fire of 1794 only three paintings were saved.
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