'The Rialto Bridge, Venice' by Theodor Hagedorn-Olsen, 1989; Danish Post-Impressionist Oil

Description

Signed lower right, "Hagedorn-Olsen" (Danish, nd painted in 1989.
Formerly in the collection of the Johannes Larsen Art Museum, Norway … more Signed lower right, "Hagedorn-Olsen" (Danish, nd painted in 1989.
Formerly in the collection of the Johannes Larsen Art Museum, Norway (label verso).

A substantial, Post-Impressionist oil showing an expansive view of the Grand Canal beneath a lightly-clouded blue sky with a gondola passing beneath the Rialto Bridge and bright sunshine reflecting off distant buildings.

Theodor Hagedorn-Olsen first studied in Copenhagen with Carl Thorpe (1923-24) and, subsequently, with Othon Friesz in Paris (1924-25). He furthered his art studies in Arles at the time Monet was completing his series of water-lilies before returning to Copenhagen where he attended the Royal Danish Academy for a further three years (1926-29). He later continued his travels and education on extended painting trips to Spain and Italy. An early European exponent of Modernist color theory, Hagedorn-Olsen is known particularly for monumentality of design and sculpturally-derived figural works, dramatically composed and executed in a palette of saturated, complementary colors. The artist is well-listed in all relevant biographical dictionaries and his work may be found in the permanent collections of numerous public museums. We are pleased to offer a scintillating late work by this Danish Modernist master, recently deaccessioned from the collection of a Norwegian museum.

Reference:
Benezit Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, Vol.6 p.664; Weilbach, Dansk Kunstnerleksikon; KE 1930-32; Charleville. Spring 1932; Freedom of issuance. 1933-34, 1936-44, 1946, 1952, 1954-56, 1960, 1964, 1966-73, 1976; et al. less