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Valløby Church on Zealand, B257
  • Production Date

    1839
  • Type of Work / Object

    Painting

Explanation

  • Læssøe was a member of the circle around Lundbye. With this composition he is particularly close to Lundbye’s Dolmen at Raklev, Røsnæs, which is in the possession of the museum. In Læssøe, the burial mound has been replaced by the high-lying Valløby Church in southern Zealand. The church looks as though it stands alone, but that was not so in reality. The motif is simply seen from the south-east and is cut by the artist in such a way that the village to which it belongs falls outside the left edge of the picture. This is an extremely dramatic picture. There is a contention between light and dark. On the right the sun is shining over Køge Bay – on the left sombre clouds are producing a brilliant rainbow. With its tower and its typical Renaissance gable shining in the rays of the rising sun against a background of a dark sky, the church acts as a kind of shelter for the light – a fortress of light and faith.

Motif / Theme

Dimension

  • Height (ornamental frame) 91.5 cm
  • Height 73.8 cm
  • Width (ornamental frame) 127 cm
  • Width 109.3 cm
  • Depth (ornamental frame) 10.5 cm
  • Inscription / Certification / Label

    Thorald Læssøe 1839
  • Type

    Signature