Carl Frederik Aagaard

CARL FREDERIK AAGAARD (Denmark, 1833-1895).
"View from an Italian pergola in the Bay of Naples," 1871.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 52 x 43 cm; 64.5 x 54.5 cm (frame).

The Mediterranean light, intense and bathed by the sun, defines every corner of an alley in a villa by the sea. Vines embrace white columns and chickens peck at the ground, painting a picture of rural simplicity. The scene is framed by the peaceful expanse of the sea, whose tranquility is visually opposed to the presence of an imposing volcano in the distance, suggesting a typically Neapolitan panorama, perhaps with Vesuvius as the protagonist.

The painter Carl Frederik Aagaard trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Kunstakademiet) in Copenhagen. He regularly participated in the Charlottenborg exhibitions in Copenhagen, where he received awards. His works are currently in collections of important museums in Denmark, such as the National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst - SMK) and other regional museums. They are also frequent in private collections and auctions. His painting followed the tradition of the Danish Golden Age but with an approach that sometimes incorporated more romantic or realistic elements.