Allan Osterlind

Spanish Flamenco Dancing Women in Garden, Oil on Canvas.

Early 20th century

In this neoclassical oil on canvas signed and dated “Otto Bache 1864”, the artist depicts Psyche standing with her back turned to the viewer beside a red draped table. Her hair is arranged in a tight knot, secured with a hairpin adorned with two large pearls. She holds a light drapery that covers her legs, while the rest of her body remains nude. With her head turned toward the right, she gazes downward toward the table, where a blue gown or drapery lies, the garment she is about to put on. Her softly illuminated profile emerges as she turns in the light falling from the upper left, creating a striking backlight that heightens the contrast along the contours of her body. On the richly red draped table before her rest her jewellery and, to her left, a large amphora-shaped jug and a tazza bowl. The light descending from above to the left defines the composition with sharp contrasts between brightness and shadow, revealing the delicate modelling of Psyche’s form and lending the scene a quiet sense of introspection and grace. Exhibited: Winkel & Magnussen October 1915 no. 5, ill. p. 5. Otto Bache was born in 1839 in Roskilde, Denmark, and died in 1927 in Copenhagen. At the age of only eleven he was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen where he studied drawing and painting under the supervision of artists such as Wilhelm Marstrand. His early training gave him a basis in the Danish “Golden Age” tradition of realism and naturalism, but he went on to travel and extend his horizons. In 1866 he received an Academy travel-scholarship and went to Paris, then Italy (1867–68). The influence of Paris is often noted: his palette became richer, his handling freer, his light stronger, and his subjects broader. Later in his career, from around 1887, he held the post as professor and on various occasions director of the Royal Danish Academy. Bache’s early work reflects his rigorous academic training: careful drawing, subdued palette and interest in genre scenes and rural life. After his travel in Paris and Italy he adopted a somewhat more robust handling of color and light, but still remained essentially realist and narrative in approach. He painted portraits, animal and hunting subjects, genre scenes, and large history-paintings depicting key moments from Danish history. In particular, during the 1880s and 1890s when he was commissioned to execute large history canvases for the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle and similar institutions, depicting events such as the exploits of Danish soldiers...

View of the Ariccia Bridge and the Alban Hills This finely executed plein air landscape depicts the monumental bridge of Ariccia and the town with the surrounding Alban Hills, painted by German landscape artist Joachim Ludwig Heinrich Daniel Bünsow (born 1821 in Kiel, died 1910 in the same city). Executed in oil on paper mounted on cardboard, the work dates from his Italian period between 1853 and 1858. Not signed. Bünsow received his artistic training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen from 1839 to 1848, studying under Johann Ludwig Lund and Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. In 1844, the Copenhagen Art Association acquired his painting "Tellingstedt in Dithmarschen." Following his studies, he traveled to Dresden, where he became associated with the circle around Johan Christian Dahl. A scholarship from the Copenhagen Academy enabled Bünsow to reside in Rome from 1853 to 1858. During this period, his landscapes evolved from the finely toned, naturalistic style of his early work to more atmospheric and idealized compositions, influenced by Louis Gurlitt. Bünsow's early works from his time in Copenhagen are characterized by fine tonality and naturalistic rendering, reflecting the style of his teacher Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. His Italian landscapes, however, exhibit a more atmospheric and idealized approach, influenced by Louis Gurlitt. Notably, Bünsow produced high-quality drawings during his time in Rome, some of which are preserved in the Kunsthalle zu Kiel. Historical Context: The Ariccia Bridge In the early 19th century, the local authorities sought to improve the Appian Way's safety and accessibility. The solution involved constructing bridges to span the Ariccia valley and adjacent ravines. In 1843, Pope Gregory XVI commissioned a six-arched bridge to address the elevation differences. Following his death in 1846, Pope Pius IX continued the project, entrusting architect Ireneo Aleandri with the design and Giuseppe Bertolini with the execution. Completed in 1854, the bridge stands as a significant 19th-century engineering achievement. Featuring three tiers of elegant neoclassical arches inspired by Roman art, it measures 59 meters in height and 312 meters in length. Travertine columns at both ends commemorate the Roman milestones...