European Symbolist Oil Painting of a Centaur and Nude Woman, Monogrammed HS, -91
Price:38000 SEK3382 EUR3648 USDChange Currency
Dimensions: Height 63 cm (25 inches) x Length 116 cm (46 inches)
An intriguing European Symbolist oil painting on canvas, depicting a mythological scene with a centaur and a nude woman beside a secluded pool. The painting is signed with an intertwined HS monogram and dated 1891 in red in the lower left corner.
The composition shows a nude woman seated on a moss-covered rock, her back turned towards the viewer. Facing her is a centaur, standing partly submerged in the water and holding what appears to be a fish. The figures are surrounded by dramatic rock formations, with a narrow opening revealing daylight beyond. The deep green water, dark surroundings and carefully placed light create an atmosphere of mystery and intimacy.
The subject, composition and colour palette are characteristic of late 19th-century European Symbolist painting, with its fascination for mythology, nature and allegorical themes.
The intertwined HS monogram raises the possibility of an attribution to the Swiss Symbolist painter Hans Sandreuter (1850–1901), a close associate of Arnold Böcklin. Sandreuter explored mythological and allegorical subjects, and the painting's date and atmosphere are consistent with his artistic period. However, the attribution remains unconfirmed.
An unusual and atmospheric example of 19th-century mythological painting, combining elements of Symbolism, classical mythology and Romantic landscape painting.