Fishing Boats 1884

Peder Severin Krøyer made this painting of fishing boats in Denmark at the end of the 19th century. Krøyer was part of a community of artists who gathered in Skagen, a remote fishing village in the north of Denmark, to paint “en plein air”. This image of fishermen at dusk evokes the traditional lifestyle of Skagen. But it also subtly comments on the ways that social structures in Denmark were changing. In the foreground of the picture, a dead ray lies on the beach. Behind it, fishermen prepare to go to sea in the fading light. The ray is a reminder of the risks of fishing as a livelihood, and perhaps also an allegory for the challenges faced by rural communities during this period. The image might seem conservative in its focus on traditional ways of life, but we should remember that Krøyer exhibited at the Secession in Germany, aligning himself with progressive artists who wanted to challenge the institutional structures of the art world. To understand the painting better, we can look at the social history of Skagen, and the role that art played in shaping its cultural identity.