Young Girl Reading a Letter
1902
A young woman is depicted in a quiet, intimate moment as she reads a letter, bathed in the soft, diffused light characteristic of Anna Ancher's Skagen interiors. Ancher's masterful handling of natural light creates a warm, contemplative atmosphere that draws the viewer into the figure's private world. The painting reflects the Danish Golden Age tradition while showcasing Ancher's distinctive Impressionist sensibility and her enduring fascination with domestic life and the inner lives of women.
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Signed
- Yes
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Phillips
Notes
Execution: Painted in 1902, in Denmark. Literature: John L. Loeb Jr., et al., The Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Danish Art Collection, New York, 2005, no. 2, pp. 9-11 (illustrated, p. 10) Kerry Greaves, 'Studies in Reverie', Scandinavian Review, vol. 100, no. 3, Summer 2013, p. 20 John L. Loeb Jr., et al., The Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Danish Art Collection, New York, 2017, no. 2, pp. 9-11 (illustrated, p. 10) Exhibition History: Copenhagen, Charlottenborg, Foraars Udstillingen, 1903, no. 16, p. 2 New York, Scandinavia House, Danish Paintings from the Golden Age to the Modern Breakthrough: Selections from the Collection of Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr., 2013-2014, no. 3, pp. 32, 54-55 (illustrated, pp. 32, 55) Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst; Skagen Museum; Lillehammer Kunstmuseum, Anna Ancher, 2020-2021, p. 226 Greenwich, Bruce Museum of Arts and Science, The Art of Work: Painting Labor in Nineteenth-Century Denmark, 2024-2025
🔨 Auction Lot
Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale
March 5, 2026
Estimate: $30,000 – $50,000
Sold: $154,800
Lot 6
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