A large white house seen through a grove of small trees. Watercolor on paper. Signed G. Ditlefsen 43 lower right.
Frame Size: 30.5" x 25" Paper Size: 24" x 18"
Gunnar Ditlefsen (Danish, 1901-1978) Gunner Ditlefsen had a very varied production of oil and tempera paintings, watercolors and etchings. The motifs are mainly landscapes and cityscapes from Denmark and Southern Europe, but also include portraits. Among the early works are some forest paintings inspired by Ebba Carstensen, and his landscapes from Agger have weight and simplicity. The Impressionist effect in many of the landscapes, i.a. from Halsnæs, is gradually replaced by a more expressive painting with Willumsen-influenced contrasts in black and yellow, zinnober and cadmium. In a series of tempera images, the black color dominates in strong contours with memories of Nolde and Rouault, e.g. in Greek staircase. An early figure image is Derain-influenced, while the later portraits are more subdued in color and have a good personal characteristics. The color swings from a pale denomination to the strongest contrasting colors.
