Three Young Girls. The Artist's Sisters: Alvilde, Ida and Henriette by Constantin Hansen

Three Young Girls. The Artist's Sisters: Alvilde, Ida and Henriette 1827

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canvas

character portrait

canvas

portrait reference

animal drawing portrait

portrait drawing

facial study

facial portrait

portrait art

fine art portrait

celebrity portrait

digital portrait

Dimensions: 62.5 cm (height) x 81 cm (width) (Netto), 80.5 cm (height) x 99 cm (width) x 8.7 cm (depth) (Brutto)

Constantin Hansen painted this image of his sisters in their domestic setting; it captures a moment of quiet artistic endeavor. The youngest sister is absorbed in drawing, a practice deeply intertwined with cultural and intellectual pursuits. Consider the symbolic weight of the simple act of drawing; it goes beyond mere representation. It echoes the classical ideals of capturing beauty, wisdom, and truth, a lineage extending from ancient Greece to the Renaissance. The image of the artist, engaged in the act of creation, conjures associations with enlightenment and the pursuit of knowledge. We can trace this motif back to the depictions of muses inspiring artists or scholars, embodying creative inspiration. There's something psychologically resonant in the earnest concentration of the girl in the foreground. This recalls a sense of focused introspection, inviting viewers to reflect on the human capacity for creativity and the emotional depth embedded in visual expression. This image is more than a domestic scene; it is a reminder of the enduring human drive to create, learn, and connect with the world through artistic practice.

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statensmuseumforkunst over 1 year ago

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Constantin Hansen grew up with his sisters at Charlottenborg where their father, portrait painter Hans Hansen, had a tenancy. Constantin’s sister, Alvilde, also demonstrated artistic talent. In his 1827 painting Alvilde, 18, is drawing flowers. At that time women could not enter the art academy, but had to resort to private tuition – possibly under academy professors. Alvilde appears to have focused on flower painting – one of the few types of pictures women were allowed to paint. The year after Constantin painted his sisters, their father died, and the family had to move. This shattered Alvilde’s dreams of a career in art. She became a teacher instead, taking up positions at manor houses. She later returned to Copenhagen to live with Constantin and his family. Like many other daughters of artists she never married.