American

Emile Carlsen

U.S. 1853-1932
Clay Vessel and China Bowl 80.0036

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It is not known exactly when Emil Carlsen painted this still-life. During the early years of his career, Carlsen was known for his outstanding work in this genre, however, he soon after turned his attention to seascapes. There were marine painters in his family and his first teacher in the U.S. was Danish marine painter Lauritz Holst. One critic in 1883 lamented that it, "will be a loss to one branch of art if Mr. Carlsen gives up his still-life work." Carlsen's soft touch with the brush and his subtle use of light and shade in this still-life are testimony to impressionism's influence on his work. Carlsen, who came to the America in 1872 after studying architecture and painting at the University of Copenhagen, was heavily influenced by French and later American impressionism and found a friend in Willard Metcalf, one of the "Ten." Carlsen later taught at the National Academy of Design (1906-1909) and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (1912-1918).

 

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