24 Works, Today, June 9th. is Michael Peter Ancher’s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #158
Fishermen launching a rowing boat. 1881
Oil on canvas
Height: 120 cm (47.2 in); Width: 183 cm (72 in)
Skagens Museum
Michael Ancher was very fascinated by the fishermen. They put their lives on the line when they fished or when they worked as rescuers. Here a group of fishermen are seen pushing a boat into a very turbulent sea. Their family and friends are standing on the beach and probably hoping that everything goes well this time too. In this picture, Ancher focuses on the heroic aspect of the fishermen’s duties, and the seriousness of the situation is reflected in the fishermen’s faces. At the end of the 19th century, many pictures of fishermen and farmers were exhibited at the exhibition grounds in the major European cities. The people of the cities often had a romantic notion of rural life. Although they could not imagine living as farmers or fishermen, the farmer and the fishing population as well as their surroundings represented something original and unspoiled that the people of the cities longed for. More on this painting
Michael Peter Ancher (9 June 1849–19 September 1927) was a Danish realist artist, and widely known for his paintings of fishermen, the lakes, and other scenes from the Danish fishing community in Skagen..