A survey of impressionist masterpieces from the Ordrupgaard Collection
Drawn from the remarkable Ordrupgaard Collection of the Danish insurance broker and art lover Wilhelm Hansen, the masterpieces of 19th-century French painting in this volume represent the very best of French impressionism.
Joining an already impressive collection of Scandinavian art, one of the first French paintings Hansen acquired was Woman with a Fan, Portrait of Madame Marie Hubbard (1874) by Berthe Morisot. This gently ironic work set the tone for his perceptive and adventurous collecting style. A burst of acquisitions from 1916 to 1918, during which he took advice from the influential critic Thodore Duret, saw his collection grow to include works by Czanne, Courbet, Gauguin, Manet, Matisse, Monet, Renoir and Sisley. With stunning reproductions of 60 works, the authors explore the history of the collection and provide detailed analysis of the works themselves.