Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting

Name: Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1092710
Availability: SoldOut

1920 - 1940

Sold by Brave Fine Art

Description

This early 20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Bodil Larsen Rohweder (1883-1975) depicts a woman holding a tray. Rohweder was an acclaimed illustrator predominantly known for her intricate zoological and botanical drawings.

A crystal decanter, half filled with liquor, reflects light from a nearby window. Two glasses, perhaps for port, stand alongside. She carries the tray mindfully - dressed to impress. Is she hosting an evening soirée? Or is this the prelude to a romantic tête-à-tête?

Born in Copenhagen, the daughter of a stockbroker, Rohweder’s early tuition was undertaken at the School for Drawing and Applied Art for Women. The first school of its kind, it offered female artists the opportunity to train at a time when a male-dominated society still broadly frowned upon such endeavours. In 1902, she enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

Her early works in oil tend to focus on maternal activities within the home. Two mothers bring children to a playdate, bourgeois women undertake handicrafts in opulent drawing rooms, and inquisitive sisters peer into a dresser. In all of these, no males are present.

Underpinning her talent for observational genre scenes was her attention to detail coupled with her finesse with a pencil. She was an extraordinary draughtswoman able to accurately render minute forms with unerring precision.

Her true calling soon became evident when she was commissioned to produce numerous illustrations for scientific journals, documents and books. In 1916, working on the ‘Textbook of Zoology’ by JEV Boas; in 1925, providing a set of exquisite diagrams for ‘The Elephant's Head, II’ by the same author; and in 1938, illustrating ‘The Housefly and Stingfly’ by Math. Thomsen.

While her career as an illustrator appears to have provided the mainstay of her income, she continued to work in oils over the course of her life. She married Aage Carl August Strubberg in 1923, changing her name to Bodil Larsen Strubberg.

Held in a later frame.

Learn more about Bodil Larsen Rohweder in our directory.

Medium: Oil on canvas

Overall size: 25” x 36½” / 64cm x 93cm

Year of creation: c. 1930

Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.

Condition: Cleaned. Revarnished. Later stretcher. Areas of restoration and in-painting. Canvas relined. Frame in excellent condition.

Our reference: BRV654

Physical Dimensions

Height

93cm (36.61")

Width

64cm (25.20")

Depth

4cm (1.57")

Declaration

Brave Fine Art has dated this piece to the 1930s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1092710

Description

This early 20th-century oil painting by Danish artist Bodil Larsen Rohweder (1883-1975) depicts a woman holding a tray.

“

Rohweder was an acclaimed illustrator predominantly known for her intricate zoological and botanical drawings.

Brave Fine Art

fig 1. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait Of A Woman Holding A Tray - Antique Oil Painting — fig 1. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting

A crystal decanter, half filled with liquor, reflects light from a nearby window. Two glasses, perhaps for port, stand alongside. She carries the tray mindfully - dressed to impress. Is she hosting an evening soirée? Or is this the prelude to a romantic tête-à-tête?

fig 2. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait Of A Woman Holding A Tray - Antique Oil Painting — fig 2. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting

Born in Copenhagen, the daughter of a stockbroker, Rohweder’s early tuition was undertaken at the School for Drawing and Applied Art for Women. The first school of its kind, it offered female artists the opportunity to train at a time when a male-dominated society still broadly frowned upon such endeavours. In 1902, she enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

fig 3. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait Of A Woman Holding A Tray - Antique Oil Painting — fig 3. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting

Her early works in oil tend to focus on maternal activities within the home. Two mothers bring children to a playdate, bourgeois women undertake handicrafts in opulent drawing rooms, and inquisitive sisters peer into a dresser. In all of these, no males are present.

fig 4. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait Of A Woman Holding A Tray - Antique Oil Painting — fig 4. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting

Underpinning her talent for observational genre scenes was her attention to detail coupled with her finesse with a pencil. She was an extraordinary draughtswoman able to accurately render minute forms with unerring precision.

fig 5. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait Of A Woman Holding A Tray - Antique Oil Painting — fig 5. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting

Her true calling soon became evident when she was commissioned to produce numerous illustrations for scientific journals, documents and books. In 1916, working on the ‘Textbook of Zoology’ by JEV Boas; in 1925, providing a set of exquisite diagrams for ‘The Elephant's Head, II’ by the same author; and in 1938, illustrating ‘The Housefly and Stingfly’ by Math. Thomsen.

fig 6. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait Of A Woman Holding A Tray - Antique Oil Painting — fig 6. Bodil Larsen Rohweder, Portrait of a Woman Holding a Tray - Antique Oil Painting

While her career as an illustrator appears to have provided the mainstay of her income, she continued to work in oils over the course of her life. She married Aage Carl August Strubberg in 1923, changing her name to Bodil Larsen Strubberg.