Charles Themmen 1855 Oil Painting "Winter Pastime"

Item Details

Charles Themmen (American; 19th century)
Winter Pastime, 1855
Oil painting on burlap
Signed to the lower right

Little is known about Charles Themmen’s artistic career and life, although his pieces unveil he was most prolific during the mid nineteenth century. In this painting, the use of dramatic light gives the scene the effect of a hallowed landscape while highlighting everyday American life as figures skate across a frozen pond. Themmen’s use of light and detail shows he is well acquainted with romantic landscape painting, which may stem from northern European tradition.

Condition

- heavy wear to edges of frame; large losses of gesso to all four edges of frame; dust and accretions present to painting and frame; craquelure present to lower left and upper right corners of painting; billow to burlap canvas; gesso pulling away from burlap, creating rippling throughout painting; inpainting to center of painting; surface wear present to painting; toning to varnish; cracking throughout gesso in margins of frame; dirt and discoloration throughout surface of composition; loss of paint to edges of frame; staining to center of painting.

Dimensions

- measures frame; visible image measures 29.5" W x 24.5" H.

Item #

18DCC926-067