Carl Frederick Sørensen

STRUCTURE The canvas is original. PAINT SURFACE The paint surface is in good clean condition, ready to hang. ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT UV Light reveals a small patch over painting, lower left and a few scattered flecks of infilling to frame abrasions. Otherwise good original condition. FRAME Held in a period gilt frame in fair condition.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

'...you must still go out, still go out into nature; first on the shore, then in a boat...'
-Charles Frederick Sørensen to artist Holger Drachmann.

The following four lots by Carl Frederick Sørensen vividly portray this ethos of painting from nature and experience.  It echoes the advice of Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783-1853) who tutored Sørensen in 1845.  Sørensen began his studies as artisan apprentice before studying at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen.  He initially concentrated on decorative subjects and porcelain painting but soon applied his skills to Marine and coastal scenes. 

In 1846 he embarked on the first of a lifetime of voyages aboard a Danish frigate bound for the Mediterranean.  It was during such voyages that he gained an intimate and comprehensive knowledge of the workings of a ship and life at sea.  He travelled extensively in Europe producing fine and topographically sound views of the coasts of England, France, Italy and Iceland.  During the first Schleswig War (1848-1851) Sørensen sailed with the North sea and Baltic squadrons portraying the Danish Navy in battle. 

Armed with such experience, he forged a distinct style, painting rapidly with broad but deft brushstrokes to capture the capricious moods of the sea.  He was a master of light enabling him to capture the subtleties and radiance of atmospheric conditions.  Sørensen counted the Danish Royal family among his patrons, but his work was collected well beyond the bounds of his native land.