Anthonore Christensen (1849-1926) Fern By A Stream In The Undergrowth

Anthonore CHRISTENSEN
(Copenhagen, 1849 – Horsolm, 1926)
Fern by a stream, in the undergrowth
Oil on canvas
H. 37 cm; W. 52 cm
Dated lower right
1870

Provenance: Paul Flemming, curator in Copenhagen (stamp on the stretcher)

Exhibition: possibly Charlottenborg Salon of 1870, under number 270, titled Aaparti (View of a stream)

Born Anthonore Tscherning, our artist is one of the leading female flower painters in Denmark at the end of the 19th century. Initially trained by the very classical Emma Thomsen (herself an admirer of Johan Jensen), she quickly moved from floral still lifes to plein air painting in a more naturalistic style, under the influence of her mother, Eleonore Tscherning (1817-1890), who exhibited at Charlottenborg between 1842 and 1849. Anthonore herself participated in this salon for the first time at only 18 years old, and the following year, in 1868, the Danish royal collections acquired one of her works. Our painting is very much in keeping with her style of the period: woodland scenes with remarkably fresh wildflowers, featuring pronounced lighting effects and an almost photographic quality. The nearly imperceptible presence of three small birds perched on branches adds a touch of poetry and animation to this composition, which at first glance appears entirely vegetal. The work was probably created following a trip to Switzerland, northern Italy, and Paris that she took with her mother in 1869. The year after this painting was created, Anthonore married Richard Christensen (1843-1876), a philologist, and it was under this name that she would henceforth sign and exhibit her paintings. With her husband, she spent several years in Italy (Rome, Sicily, etc.) and Greece (Athens). She continued to participate regularly in Charlottenborg, while also exhibiting abroad, such as in Philadelphia in 1876 and Munich in 1901. She presented more than 230 works at this Salon, winning a gold medal in 1893. Anthonore also dedicated herself to teaching, notably to several members of the Danish and Greek royal families (including Louise of Denmark and Olga of Greece), who purchased several of her canvases, and to organizing exhibitions showcasing women painters.