Holger Henrik Herholdt Drachmann

HOLGER HENRIK HERHOLDT DRACHMANN (Copenhagen, 1846-1908).
"Summer Afternoon at London Bridge," 1874.
Oil on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 61 x 94 cm; 78 x 111 cm (frame).

Drachmann was a tireless traveler who spent time in several European cities, including London, Paris and Rome. London, in particular, was a city he visited and resided in on several occasions throughout his life (first from 1870 to 1871 and again in 1874), absorbing its atmosphere and culture, as we can see in this canvas depicting London Bridge on a summer afternoon. Formally his work, like that of many Danish artists of his time, showed a sensitive appreciation for light and atmosphere close to the French Impressionists (although Drachmann does not fall into this group because he was part of the Skagen colony of artists in Denmark, who developed their own approach to naturalism and plein air). As a painter, he is especially known for his seascapes, coastal landscapes and scenes of fishermen's life. His deep love for the sea and the Danish coast is vividly reflected in canvases such as the one we now present.

Holger Henrik Herholdt Drachman was a poet and playwright trained in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. From 1870 he traveled through England, Scotland, France and Spain. In 1872 he first visited Skagen, where he met the growing colony of artists called the Skagen Painters. The troubles of the Franco-Prussian War and the Paris Commune persuaded him that a glorious new era was about to begin, so he turned to literature. His talent led him to explore and master various forms of artistic expression. His work encompassed lyric poetry, prose (novels, short stories), theater and, of course, painting.His book of lyrics, Dæmpede Melodier (Muffled Melodies, 1875), made it clear that Drachmann was a poet with a real vocation, and he began to produce books in prose and verse. His literary work fuses the attitudes of a modern rebel with a romantic view of women and history. Holger Drachmann's production can be found in important museums in Denmark, mainly the National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst - SMK) in Copenhagen and the Skagen Museum.