Published 8 April 2022

From 1 May 2022 it will be possible to see Paul Gauguin’s painting, La neige à Copenhague in Copenhagen. The Glyptotek has acquired this work, which originates from the period during which Gauguin lived in Denmark.

From 1 May, the Glyptotek will be displaying a newly acquired painting by Paul Gauguin (1848 – 1903). The painting La neige à Copenhague (Snow in Copenhagen) (1884) will be the focal point of a small thematic exhibition entitled Gauguin and the Danish Connection, related to Gauguin’s residence in Copenhagen (November 1884 – May 1885). Featuring a motif from the residential/park neighbourhoods of Frederiksberg, La neige à Copenhague is probably one of the first landscapes he painted in Copenhagen.

“We are delighted we could acquire this painting, which represents an outstanding addition to the Glyptotek’s already unique collection of Gauguin’s works. The painting helps underscore the story of the artist’s relationship to Denmark and enhances the museum’s collection, which uniquely covers Gauguin’s entire oeuvre from this period. I am so happy that the painting is now here at the Glyptotek, where visitors can enjoy it, and where it will boost the representation of Gauguin in the Nordic region,” says Gertrud Hvidberg-Hansen, Director of the Glyptotek.

Gauguin’s Encounter with Denmark
The painting dates from the period, during which the Gauguin family lived in a ground-floor flat at 105, Gl. Kongevej in Copenhagen. The motif may be a view from one of the windows of the yards behind the building. The style of painting and motif have much in common with the Impressionistic painting from the same period – Partineurs dans le parc de Frederiksberg (Skaters in Frederiksberg Gardens) (1884) – which is also part of the Glyptotek’s collection.

“Gauguin was striving to acquire a lighter, brighter, more vivid style. This is also evident in this snow picture. Snowy landscapes were a favourite motif among the Impressionists and, although Gauguin was annoyed that it was too cold to work outdoors for long periods of time, he painted several excellent winter pictures,” says Gertrud Hvidberg-Hansen.
The work was acquired with funding from Augustinus Fonden, Ny Carlsbergfondet and Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond.

New Exhibition Space for French Art
Visitors can see La neige à Copenhague and the exhibition Paul Gauguin and the Danish Connection in ‘The Small Salon’ of the Glyptotek until 28 August 2022. Presenting the new acquisition in the context of other works by Gauguin from the museum’s collection, the exhibition also tells the story of the artist’s wife, Mette Gauguin (née Gad) – a businesswoman with a knack for selling his work and organising his exhibitions.

In the future, ‘The Small Salon’ will provide the setting for small, temporary exhibitions of French art. In this exhibition space, visitors can gain insight into the museum’s work on French art – one of the Glyptotek’s main fields of interest. Paul Gauguin and the Danish Connection will open on 1 May, when the museum will be celebrating its 125th anniversary.

Our sincere thanks for generous support to the new acquisition:
Augustinus Fonden
Ny Carlsbergfondet
Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond

Facts
The Glyptotek owns one of the finest collections of Gauguin’s works in the world. The collection encompasses 57 works, consisting of paintings, ceramic works and wood carvings.
To learn more about the museum’s collections, visit:
www.glyptoteket.com/about-the-museum/the-collection/

Paul Gauguin (1848 – 1903)
La neige à Copenhague (1884)
Oil on canvas
73.6 x 60 cm
Signed, dated and with the dedication: “à mon ami Theodore P. Gauguin-84” to the left at the bottom.

Provenance
The work belonged to Paul Gauguin’s brother-in-law, Theodor Gad, and then to the latter’s family until 1943. Thereafter, it became part of a private collection until 2014, when it was sold at Christie’s London to a private owner in Switzerland. After seven years abroad, the work is now back in Denmark.

Previously exhibited…
Kleis Kunsthandel, Copenhagen: Malerier og grafiske Arbejder (1917), No. 7.
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen: Paul Gauguin, Hans arbejder i
skandinavisk eje (1926), No. 34. The exhibition was also shown in Stockholm at
the National Museum.
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen: Paul Gauguin 1848-1903. A retrospective
exhibition to celebrate the centenary of his birth (May-June 1948), No. 25.