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Vilhelm Petersen, 'Oetzthal', 1850

About the work

Overview

This small oil sketch of Oetzthal, a mountain valley in the Austrian Alps, was painted by the Danish landscape artist, Vilhelm Petersen, when he was travelling to Italy in the summer of 1850. Close to the Italian border, the area is the site of some of Austria’s highest mountains. We are most likely looking south towards Italy, perhaps from a vantage point near the town of Oetz.

The sketch, which is painted on paper and was subsequently mounted on canvas, was almost certainly made quickly on the spot. In the foreground, Petersen has swiftly indicated the outlines of the nearest mountains and fir trees with pencil and washes of underpaint. He used subtle tones of lavender and a pale blue-grey for the far mountains to create an effect of distance and summer haze. As it is summer, there is only a little snow, which Petersen has painted with thin streaks of brilliant white.

Key facts

Details

Full title
Oetzthal
Artist dates
1812 - 1880
Date made
1850
Medium and support
oil on paper, mounted on canvas
Dimensions
19.7 × 35.7 cm
Inscription summary
Inscribed
Acquisition credit
Presented by Peter Hecht in memory of Erika Langmuir, 2016
Inventory number
NG6662
Location
Room 39
Collection
Main Collection
Frame
20th-century Replica Frame

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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