Peder Severin Krøyer's 'Summer Evening on Skagen Sønderstrand' Analyzed
The 1893 artwork 'Summer Evening on Skagen Sønderstrand' by Peder Severin Krøyer is analyzed thoroughly. This oil painting on canvas, sized at 150 by 100 cm, illustrates two women strolling along a beach during sunset. The arrangement adheres to mathematical one-third proportions: the figures are positioned one-third from the left and top, with the shoreline following a diagonal line at one-third. The horizon sits one-fourth from the top. The women are recognized as Krøyer’s spouse, Marie Krøyer, and her friend, Anna Ancher, who had just concluded a dinner party. Krøyer exhibited erratic behavior starting in 1893 and was institutionalized for mental illness in 1900. Initially showcased in 1895, the painting was celebrated as a masterpiece and remained in private hands until its donation to the Skagens Museum in Denmark in 1985, where it was rediscovered as a 'lost' work. Krøyer joined the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen at 14 and moved to Skagen in 1882, permanently settling there by 1891 to create an artists' colony.
Key facts
- Peder Severin Krøyer painted 'Summer Evening on Skagen Sønderstrand' in 1893.
- The painting is oil on canvas, 150 cm wide by 100 cm high.
- It depicts two women walking on a beach at sunset.
- The composition uses one-third proportions for placement of women and shoreline.
- The horizon is placed one-fourth from the top edge.
- The women are Marie Krøyer and Anna Ancher.
- Krøyer was institutionalized in 1900 for severe mental illness.
- The painting was donated to Skagens Museum in 1985.
Entities
Artists
- Peder Severin Krøyer
- Marie Krøyer
- Anna Ancher
- Laurits Regner Tuxen
Institutions
- Royal Academy of Fine Arts
- Skagens Museum
- Hungarian National Gallery
Locations
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Skagen
- Kattegat Strait
- Budapest
- Hungary