Martinus Rørbye (b. Drammen 1803, d. Copenhagen 1848)
“Vindenes Taarn i Athen. Figurerne i Costume fra forskiellige Egne af Grækenland”. Tower of the Winds, Athens. The figures dressed in costumes from different parts of Greece. Signed and dated M. Rørbye 1839. Oil on canvas. 60×80 cm.
In italics:
Thorvaldsen's Museum, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of Martinus Rørbye no. 158.
Exhibited: Charlottenborg 1839 no. 274 (supplement). Purchased by Kunstforeningen, won by war commissioner Albeck.
Kunstforeningen, “Fortegnelse over M. Rørbyes arbejder”, 1905 no. 86.
Literature: Reproduced, “Samleren”, 1936 p. 122. Herman Madsen, “200 danske malere og deres værker” (200 Danish painters and their works) vol. 1, 1946 p. 99, figure 5. “Kunst i Privat Eje” (Art in Private Collections, vol. 1, 1944, p. 301, here Herman Madsen makes the following remarks (in Danish): "A splendid picture in the collection of mrs. Kirk is Martinus Rørbye's sun glittering Tower of the Winds in Athens. He was the first Danish artist of importance, who found a new and surprising type of motifs in Greece, where a more oriental lifestyle differed greatly from that of Italy.
Provenance: War commissioner Albreck, wine merchant J. B Sandberg, sold at auction in 1871 to merchant C. Albreck. Albreck's widow (1905). Emilie Kirk's art collection (1944). Bruun Rasmussen auction 227, 1968 no. 227, reproduced p. 19. Bruun Rasmussen auction 658, 1999 no. 248, reproduced p. 95.
According to Rørbye's diary, he began a study for the painting (30×41) on February 29 and he finished it on March 5 1836 (in Danish): “In the morning I started on a small study of the Tower of the Winds, a good motif for folkloristic scenes, because a lot of people visit the fountain fetching water.” The study is owned by Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. That one reproduced above.
In Hans Christian Andersen's novel “En digters Basar” (A Poet's Bazaar) dated 1842, Andersen describes the location seen in the painting so exactly that he either must have seen the sketch or the exhibited painting from 1839.
Herman Madsen recounts, in the book mentioned above, about the Tower (in Danish): “Tower of the Winds” is located below Acropolis's northern slope and is an interesting Prehistorical Memorial. The name comes from a former figure on top showing the wind's direction. The reliefs symbolize the different winds. Inside the tower there was a water clock, which indicated the time. It has in other words, been a scientific building. Rørbye's painting gives an amusing impression of the oriental splendor that characterized urban life in Athens for more than a century ago".
Please note: The item is subject to the Anti-Money Laundering Act. In the event of a hammer price of DKK 50,000 or more, including buyer’s premium, the buyer must submit a copy of a valid photo ID and proof of address in order to collect the item.
Paintings, 24 November 2015