Kristiansted, St. Croix after the eruption of Krakatoa
signed, inscribed and dated 'Th.Jessen St. Croix/ 1884' (lower right), inscribed 'Th. Jessen: "Kristiansted", St. Croix gul Luft after Krakatoa Udbreddet' on the stretcher
oil on canvas
27.5 x 44.5cm (10 13/16 x 17 1/2in).

Footnotes

The artist of the present lot is believed to be Niels Christian Theodor Jessen who was a Danish artist recorded as being on the Danish colony now known as the US Virgin Islands in the 1880s. Another of his works is in the collection of the Danish National Museum depicting the sugarworks at Estate Golden Rock, with a similar viewpoint as this picture. This other painting, the only other known work by him, was owned by Gunnar Aage Hagemann (1877-1971) who donated it to the National Danish Museum in 1966.

The Hagemann family owned several sugarcane plantations along the Frederiksted coastline on St. Croix between 1897 and 1922. The slightly yellow colouring in the sky is due to the atmospheric effects caused by the eruption of Krakatoa in August 1883. It is unique in its depiction of the Danish colony in this period and offers a fascinating glimpse of the history of these most beautiful islands.

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- 19th Century & Orientalist Paintings