Jerichau – The Palm Towards St. Sir (1915)

Louisiana poster with the work, The Palm Towards St. Sir (1915), by Jens Adolf Jerichau (1890-1916). Jerichau was only 25 years old, but despite his short career he managed to leave a significant mark on Danish painting and became a clear inspiration for later generations of Danish painters.

Jerichau's pictures are typically full of spontaneity and expressionistic wildness. He is known for his large compositions, often with figures taken from the Bible and art history.

But here, with The Palm towards St. Sir, Jerichau is taken to the South of France, where he is taken up by the coast and the characteristic palm trees, among other things. Jerichau uses the available motifs to experiment with the very way he paints.

Although Jerichau was only an active painter for a short number of years, he became a clear inspiration for later main figures in Danish art, not least Asger Jorn (1914-1973) and Per Kirkeby (1938-2018).