It was listed by Brave Fine Art. Sold pieces stay on Sellingantiques as a record of what has passed through, and the next one is rarely far away.
Brave Fine Art has dated this Antique Oil Painting to the 1900s.
A vase of autumnal flowers, a bottle, and a small casket rest upon a table to her right. Her hair is gathered into a low chignon, adorned with flowers, and her posture is composed yet unguarded.
At first glance, the composition recalls an earlier work, 'Woman in front of a mirror' by Danish Golden Age painter, Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783-1853). Like Eckersberg, Vermehren adopts a controlled, balanced structure, using the circular form of the mirror to anchor the composition and guide the viewer’s gaze. Yet where Eckersberg’s mirror reveals the sitter - completing the image through reflection - Vermehren withholds it. The mirror offers no legible reflection, presenting instead a darkened surface that quietly denies us access to the woman’s face.
This subtle decision transforms the work, and it becomes a meditation on privacy and self-containment. We are placed close to the figure, yet remain outside her experience. In this way, Vermehren shifts a familiar motif toward a more modern sensibility.
Such an approach reflects Vermehren’s broader interest in the interiors and rituals of the bourgeoisie. Unlike the rustic scenes favoured by his father, Frederik Vermehren, or the moralised domestic narratives of his brother Gustav, Sophus turned his attention to quieter, more introspective moments.
The result is a painting that invites a slower engagement - one attuned to the delicate boundary between observation and intimacy.
Held in its original late 19th-century gilt frame.
Learn more about Sophus Vermehren in our directory.
Medium: Oil on canvas
Overall size: 24½” x 25” /62cm x 63cm
Year of creation: c. 1905
Provenance: Private collection, Denmark.
Condition: Cleaned. Craquelure in areas. The paint layer is stable. Frame in good condition with minor age-related wear.
Artist’s auction maximum: £16,532 achieved in 2019 for ‘The Antique Collection at the National Gallery of Denmark’.
Our reference: BRV2280
Brave Fine Art has dated this Antique Oil Painting to the 1900s.
Exquisite antique paintings that capture the imagination.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Brave Fine Art Profile Page
Sophus Vermehren, at the Dressing Table - Antique Oil Painting
