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Study of Clouds over the Sound
C.W. Eckersberg (Danish, 1783–1853)
1826
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- height 20.5 cm, width 32.3 cm, height 32.2 cm, width 44.1 cm
- Culture
- Danish
- Museum
- SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
- Rights
- Public Domain Mark: SMK waives its rights in this photograph, as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Little Ones profiles and older: it shows gentle subjects for the very young. How works are placed
View at the SMK – National Gallery of Denmark
About this work
Eckersberg undoubtedly created his painted studies of clouds over the Sound with the idea of using them as reference materials for marine paintings. In this case, those plans came to fruition: two years after painting this study he transferred the cloud formations to his painting of the Russian ship of the line Asow [cat.67], although he adapted them to match the upright format of the larger painting. The rain falling onto the coast of Sweden in the background was also transferred to the large painting. The painting was formerly in the possession of the sculptor C.G. Freund; after Freund’s death in 1900 the work was attributed to Christen Købke, and it would seem that in 1901, the painting’s new owner believed that the study was meant to show clouds over Sortedam Lake in Copenhagen. For this reason he let the painter C. Clausen add in the brink of the lake. When the SMK acquired the study in 2008, the later addition was removed by a conservator.
