Wednesday, 25 August 2010

M. Snestrup


M. Snestrup

 unknown Danish printmaker


I discovered this woodcut in a fleamarket, titled: "girl talking to the plants". It is signed Org. Traesnit, Eger Trisk in Danish: original woodcut, own print. Signed in pencil: M. Snestrup. There is nothing special to it, not technical nor easthetical. But the subject is rather sweet: who isn't enchanted by the mermaids mythology.

There is nothing further to be found on M. Snestrup, the printmaker, on Google. Just a similar print offered in Denmark.

So: I believe it's not a girl at all but a mermaid sitting on the seafloor. Hans Christian Anderson's ((1805-1975) story. And the famous statue by Edvard Erikson made in 1913 "Den lille Havfrue" on the Langelinie in Kopenhagen.


Besides many images of medieval woodcuts I found only this Dutch example (the maker unknown to me too) of "the mermaid of Westenschouwen" 1933. After a local mythical story.
I am not going to make this a posting on mermaids in art (mermaids have inspired so many artists) but when you have only the slightest interest in mermaids and her history you must visit this very interesting Blog: http://mermaid-williambond.blogspot.com/ William Bond having more surprising and interesting viewpoints towards the world we live in that I found worth reading by the way. Recommended for all female readers i.p.

From Williams Blog I borrowed these two pictures of mermaids located, as in M. Snestrup's, on the seafloor.

Right : Arthurs Rackham (1867-1939) "Ondine" .


Left: Arthur Hacker (1858-1919) "the water maiden".


This picture of an oil-painting by Pre-Raphaelite painter John Collier (1850-1934), "the land baby" to close this posting written to see if some-one knows this obscured artist M. Snestrup.



With a special thank you to Lotusgreen who reminded me to take better care of "borrowed" pictures and Blog-ethics.
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7 comments:

  1. Anonymous13 October 2013 at 13:26

    I have another print by M. Snestrup, signed the excact same way. Only the motive is a couple of fishingboats in a small harbour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerrie13 October 2013 at 13:49

      Thank you, I would love to see picture. Please email me at gerbrandcaspers@icloud.com

      Delete
  2. Unknown13 June 2014 at 20:59

    I also have have the print with the fishingboats.
    I'm trying to find some information about it and M Snestrup, but I can't find anything.
    Btw I'm from Denmark. I donøt think I will see it if you answer me here, so if you wan't to contact me you can do it on my e-mail Jeanett19881@live.dk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerrie14 June 2014 at 08:58

      Hello, I'm very interested in your print. I'll contact you through the email (mine is found in the above comment). Thank you for commenting.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous11 September 2014 at 20:19

    I have a large oil on canvas painting with sand dunes and small houses, probably from the Danish west coast. It is signed M. Snestrup and at least 50 ears old. Aase Klausen

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Gerrie11 September 2014 at 22:08

      Hello Aase, thank you for contacting me. Please send me a picture of the painting. To: gerbrandcaspers@icloud.com
      Thank you !

      Delete
  4. diana5 May 2017 at 20:50

    A couple of years late in finding this posting! I also have fishing boats docked near a shed with some barrels and ropes in the foreground by Snestrup. I am wondering if, on the others mentioned above, paper on which it
    is printed
    is a dark manilla envelope color or if mine has aged over the years.

    ReplyDelete

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