Frants Henningsen - A Summer's Day on Hornbæk Beach, 1884

Frants Henningsen (1850-1908) Denmark 

A Summer's Day on Hornbæk Beach, 1884

oil on wood panel
signed and dated FH 84
unframed 22 x 16 (8.66 x 6.30 inches)
framed 32 x 26 cm (12.60 x 10.24 inches)

Condition: 
The painting is in excellent condition, recently restored by a professional art conservator. The colors are now remarkably vibrant, and the painting has regained the brightness it had when first created in 1884. It comes with a handcrafted frame made by Stockholms Förgyllning och Bildhuggeri, one of Europe’s leading frame makers.

Essay:
This charming oil painting by Danish artist Frants Henningsen, A Summer's Day on Hornbæk Beach (1884), captures the serene beauty of the Danish coast. The scene, set on Hornbæk Beach, depicts what appears to be a father and son walking along the shore, possibly searching for mussels. The father is carrying a net on his back, suggesting a modest hunt for sea treasures. In the foreground, a few birds gather by a shallow pool, adding an intimate detail to the quiet coastal landscape.

Henningsen's soft palette reflects the gentle mood of the setting sun, with muted tones of pink and blue in the sky, giving the composition a peaceful, almost dreamlike quality. This work belongs to a series of beach scenes from Hornbæk, a location Henningsen revisited multiple times in his career. A related pastel from 1886, created at the same beach, is also in our collection. Similarly, Hornbæk Beach from 1883 can be viewed in The Hirschsprung Collection in Copenhagen.

Henningsen’s works, although deeply rooted in the realist tradition, often contain a sense of quiet narrative, as demonstrated here. The quiet connection between the two figures, the delicate rendering of light, and the tranquil beach setting transport the viewer into a moment of simplicity and reflection.

In July 2021, a larger oil painting from the same series, also titled A Summer's Day on Hornbæk Beach (1884), was sold at Christie's London for an impressive 43,750 GBP (approximately 605,000 SEK).

Despite being best known for his poignant portrayals of middle-class life in Copenhagen during difficult times, Henningsen's work on landscapes, such as this, shows his versatility as an artist. He captured not only human struggles but also moments of quiet beauty, and this work exemplifies the latter.