& shades of green in-between
Krøyer’s sumptuous, naturalistic painting reminds us that a garden is a haven to be enjoyed. Tackling the jobs-to-do-list is not as important as finding time to unwind in the space, lose oneself in a personal moment, and soak up the sensory pleasures and atmosphere.
Sensual use of light and shade give this painting great depth and evocative magic. The gentle palette of green, white, and cream creates an immediate feeling of tranquility, and the viewer’s roving eye finds warmth in subtle tones of brown and dusky pink. The arch of the rosebush creates movement as it frames the woman reclining in the deckchair, forming an intimate vignette that draws us into her world. The garden is her place to relax, reading the newspaper with a dozing dog curled contentedly at her feet for companionship. She seems absorbed by the news, looking thoughtful, as if there is much happening in the wider world even though this moment in the garden oasis is frozen in time. The house is obscured by the abundance of roses in bloom, suggesting all domestic thoughts are banished here.
We love the way the grass remains unmown and slightly weedy. This is clearly a plant appreciator’s garden but maintenance feels casual. The garden is created to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, rather than slavishly manicured. The intensely dark foliage of the hedge offers privacy and shade, contrasting with the illumination of the yellow iris, and the light catching folds of the woman’s dress, touching her hair, and shimmering over the white rose petals. This adds to the composition’s lively charm. The woman and her dog are still forms, caught in repose, whilst the magnificent rose bush is bursting with vigour. Gaze at this picture and inhale sweet, vicarious fragrance. Imagine sparrows chattering in the hedge, and the drowsy buzz of bees amongst blossom.
Softly scattered petals have already begun to fall. The rose has reached its zenith but time is moving on, making this moment of perfection all the more precious.
One of the most famous Danish painters, Peder Severin Krøyer (1851–1909), known as P. S. Krøyer, was a central figure in the Nordic artists’ colony established in Skagen at the end of the nineteenth century. Influenced by Naturalism and Realism, Kroyer’s legacy includes keenly observed portrayals of local life, the fishing community, and social gatherings, as well as commissioned portraits of prominent figures from industrial and cultural life.
The work is oil on canvas (67.5 by 76.5 centimetres or 26.6 by 30.1 inches), showing the artist’s wife Marie, also a painter, sitting in the garden with their dog Rap. This was one of a collection of paintings, photo studies, and sketches created between 1891 and 1894 while the Krøyers were renting a summer property at Vesterby in Skagen. The title in English is often given as ‘Roses. Marie Krøyer seated in the deckchair in the garden by Mrs Bendsen’s house’. The beautiful rose, Alba maxima, is from the Old Rose family. Generously fragrant, it sets good autumn fruit if left unpruned, and is one of the longest living of all roses.
Image Source
Attribution: Peder Severin Krøyer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
