Lot 1133 | Anchored Fleet in a Bay of the Sea

MELBYE, ANTON
1818 Copenhagen - 1875 Paris


Title: Anchored Fleet in a Bay of the Sea.
Technique: Oil on canvas.
Mounting: Relined.
Measurement: 57 x 90cm.
Notation: Signed and dated lower left: Anton Melbye 1866.
Frame/Pedestal: Framed.
Provenance:
Private ownership, Germany.

Born in Copenhagen, Anton Melbye studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in his hometown and took private lessons with the famous Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. He had to give up his dream of travelling the world as a sailor due to a visual impairment, and so he decided to become a marine painter. In order to continue pursuing his passion, however, he undertook numerous voyages with the Danish navy and recorded his impressions on canvas.
The realistic, detailed and emotionally charged way of painting is one of Melbye's characteristics, which are particularly appreciated by international collectors. The forces of nature at sea and in the landscape run thematically through his works. Through his masterly use of light, he lends his works of art a dramatic effect. Not infrequently he depicts scenes of battle; ships fighting their way through dark clouds and the almost black sea.
The present painting departs from Melbye's usual motifs, radiating a calm and peaceful mood rarely found in the artist's oeuvre. His great talent for capturing light situations is particularly evident here. Sailing ships on the roadstead near the shore can be seen, reflected on the smooth surface of the water. Under a blue, almost cloudless sky, sailing ships seem to float weightlessly on the roadstead, framed by a landscape in shadow. His enthusiasm for the sea and shipping is clearly evident. While greyish and dark accents are used in the foreground, the background stands out with warm, light colours. The main focus is on the calm water shining in the sunshine. This atmospheric lighting concept creates an incredible pictorial depth that invites the viewer to linger.