Harald Moltke
Portrait of Maisainguark, an inuit from northern Greenland
Lot Closed
December 16, 03:18 PM GMT
Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Harald Moltke
Helsingør 1871 - 1960 Frederiksberg
Portrait of Maisainguark, an inuit from northern Greenland
signed and dated lower left: HM 1907.
oil on canvas
unframed: 40.5 x 28 cm.; 15⅞ x 11 in.;
framed: 47.9 x 35.1 cm; 18⅞ x 13⅞ in.
Private collection, Denmark;
Anonymous sale, Copenhagen, Bruun Rasmussen, 30 July 2018, lot 17.
Anonymous sale, Copenhagen, Bruun Rasmussen, 30 July 2018, lot 17.
In 1902, Danish painter Harald Viggo Count Moltke spent two years on the 'Literary Expedition' to Northern Greenland, led by Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen and accompanied by well-known explorer Knud Rasmussen, among others. Its mission was to visit polar inuits in Northern Greenland and Moltke was responsible for making artistic records of the trip. The inuit Maisainguark was of added significance to Moltke, who helped him when he fell ill by leading him and the other explorers to the safety of his village of Thule.