This fine mid-20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Sophus Vermehren (1866-1950) depicts an elderly man sleeping in an armchair while a woman comforts him. It’s possibly a self-portrait.Sophus Vermehren was an award-winning academy-trained painter predominantly known for genre scenes and interiors. He often selected narratives which emphasised the bonds within families and the love for one’s children.His father was the eminent Golden Age painter, Frederik Vermehren (1823-1910), and his brother, Gustav Vermehren (1863-1931), was also an accomplished artist. In 1944, when he completed this piece, he was 78, and living with his wife Yelva Petrea Sophie Vermehren. During this later period, he produced numerous scenes with a reflective, sombre, quality. In our view, they remain some of his finest works.His draughtsmanship here is exemplary. Note the coffee cup with its gilt rim, the pile of buttered toast with resting knife, and the large glass of milk. It’s a still life wi...