Dimensions: 125.9 cm (height) x 140.2 cm (width) (Netto), 156.2 cm (height) x 169.7 cm (width) x 12.7 cm (depth) (Brutto)
Bertha Wegmann painted this full-length portrait of Cecilie Trier, née Melchior, in oil on canvas. Wegmann was a portraitist working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Painted during a period when women were fighting for equality, this portrait offers a nuanced perspective on older womanhood. Cecilie Trier is captured in a domestic interior with a letter in her hand, a symbol perhaps, of communication and connection. Her serene expression and comfortable posture exude a sense of contentment and wisdom, challenging the stereotypical image of women. Wegmann, who never married, attained success in a male-dominated profession. One can read a quiet affirmation of female strength and independence in the painting. In this way, Wegmann’s work contributes to a broader dialogue about gender, identity, and representation. It also prompts a reflection on the societal roles and expectations placed on women in the 19th century, while simultaneously emphasizing the emotional depth of the sitter.
Comments
ENGELSK Bertha Wegmann: Portrait of Cecilie Trier, née Melchior, 1885, oil on canvas, 125.9 x 140.2 cm, SMK – Statens Museum for Kunst, KMS8643 Thanks to new research and an increased awareness of the many overlooked, talented female artists active in the decades around 1900, Bertha Wegmann has been reinstated as one of the important artists of Danish art. With a large production that won her international acclaim, she covered many genres including portraits, pure landscapes, landscapes with figures, interiors, flower paintings, and still lives. However, it was the portraits – such as that of Cecilie Trier – that were exhibited at the great international exhibitions and resulted in medals and honourable mentions. As a case in point, the portrait of Trier was on display both at the World’s Fairs in Paris 1889 and Chicago 1893. This critical acclaim was due to the fact that Wegmann was an eminently skilled portrait painter who mastered the artistic effects of the genre. She was capable of delivering paintings that complied with the age’s demand for ’ambience portraits’: informal depictions of situations combining the profound character sketch with the naturalistic quality of the fleeting moment. Cecilie Trier, whose birth name was Melchior, belonged to the Jewish bourgeoisie in Copenhagen, and the family remained an important patron for Bertha Wegmann through the years. They ordered several portraits from her, and in her younger years they supported her financially so that she could pursue an artistic career by going abroad to study in Munich.
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