Allegory of Sunday
Artist: Ditlev Blunck (Danish, 1798–1853)
Date: 1841
Medium: Oil on canvas
Collection: National Museum of Art, Stockholm, Sweden
Description
The painting, Allegory of Sunday, is a striking work of art that undeniably ranks among the artist’s most ambitious pieces. Ditlev Blunck (1798–1854) was active during the period known as the Danish Golden Age, which lasted from around 1810 to 1864. This period saw a flourishing of the arts in Denmark, with the Royal Danish Academy in Copenhagen at its heart. Quite a few Danish artists of the time, Blunck included, had German roots. Following Denmark’s two wars with Germany, he was overlooked by Danish art historians and consequently slid into obscurity. Blunck’s focus on religious motifs and scenes from everyday life, which in the 20th century were often considered old-fashioned and uninteresting, only exacerbated his obscurity.