Elin Danielson-Gambogi (1861-1919) Click here for full-size image

78. Elin Danielson-Gambogi (1861-1919)

The Evening Tea

oil, sign., Three women are sitting at a table with teacups in front of them. They are partially pictured from the side. The face of the person sitting on the sofa, playing the guitar, is almost completely in the shade, while the profiles of the other two women shine in the light. The gaze of the person sitting behind the table is directed at the cup raised to lips, whereas one of them concentrates on watching and listening to her friend playing the guitar. The painting was made at the beginning of the 20th century. During that time, the artist Elin Danielson-Gambogi often visited Finland, as she was a very sought-after portrait painter in her home country. With her, she brought paintings made in Italy for exhibitions and sales in Finland. Elin Danielson-Gambogi knew very early on wanting to become an artist and started her studies in Helsinki at the Art Association's drawing school in 1876, only at 15 years old. As an enthusiastic young artist, she wanted to spend her time drawing and painting. After her father's early death, Elin moved with her mother and sister to her mother's childhood home. In addition, Elin's aunt, great-aunt and uncle with his family lived there. More relatives lived nearby. Thus there were enough models in the home circle. By depicting these people, she developed to a good portrait artist early on. The subject of ‘The Evening Tea’ is typical for Elin Danielson-Gambogi. Being together with her relatives, she liked to paint them at the table, focused on their own chores. Such a motif, painting people gathered around a table, was a quite ordinary subject, and depicting those was typical for realism, the secrets of which Elin learned during her visits to Paris in the 1880s. Elin Danielson-Gambogi also painted the same subject in Italy, where she moved after marrying the Italian artist Raffaello Gambogi in 1898. In the letters she wrote to Finland, Elin told how their evenings in Italy included friends gathered around the table and playing music. Elin's husband, Raffaello Gambogi, is the second person in the two paintings portrayed the ‘at the table’ theme painted in Italy. Both of those paintings also feature a guitar; in one Raffaello is listening while in the other he is playing it for his companion. In these paintings, the listener is put in the spotlight and the player remains in the shadows. The same thing happens in this tea table piece. The work emphasizes the listeners, and not the player as the narrator of the story. Does the musician in the painting symbolize the artist who depicts her subject from shade, or is the painting just technically better this way? All of the ‘At the table’ paintings are united by the depiction of light, which is one of the central features of Elin Danielson-Gambogi's art. She was fascinated by the contrast between light and shade. In this painting ‘The Evening tea’ the player's face is in shadows, while the guitar in her lap and her hands are in the light. The empty place on the sofa next to her is also bathed in light, and that emptiness is emphasized by the light as well as the pillow. As if someone from the party is missing. Elin travelled to Finland alone, hence the empty seat could belong to her spouse Raffaello Gambogi, who stayed in Italy. (Text: Art Historian Virve Heininen), 60x81 cm

Auction ended 26.11.2022

Hammer price - 

Estimated price

€50,000

Three women are sitting at a table with teacups in front of them. They are partially pictured from the side. The face of the person sitting on the sofa, playing the guitar, is almost completely in the shade, while the profiles of the other two women shine in the light. The gaze of the person sitting behind the table is directed at the cup raised to lips, whereas one of them concentrates on watching and listening to her friend playing the guitar. The painting was made at the beginning of the 20th century. During that time, the artist Elin Danielson-Gambogi often visited Finland, as she was a very sought-after portrait painter in her home country. With her, she brought paintings made in Italy for exhibitions and sales in Finland.

Elin Danielson-Gambogi knew very early on wanting to become an artist and started her studies in Helsinki at the Art Association's drawing school in 1876, only at 15 years old. As an enthusiastic young artist, she wanted to spend her time drawing and painting. After her father's early death, Elin moved with her mother and sister to her mother's childhood home. In addition, Elin's aunt, great-aunt and uncle with his family lived there. More relatives lived nearby. Thus there were enough models in the home circle. By depicting these people, she developed to a good portrait artist early on. The subject of ‘The Evening Tea’ is typical for Elin Danielson-Gambogi. Being together with her relatives, she liked to paint them at the table, focused on their own chores. Such a motif, painting people gathered around a table, was a quite ordinary subject, and depicting those was typical for realism, the secrets of which Elin learned during her visits to Paris in the 1880s.

Elin Danielson-Gambogi also painted the same subject in Italy, where she moved after marrying the Italian artist Raffaello Gambogi in 1898. In the letters she wrote to Finland, Elin told how their evenings in Italy included friends gathered around the table and playing music. Elin's husband, Raffaello Gambogi, is the second person in the two paintings portrayed the ‘at the table’ theme painted in Italy. Both of those paintings also feature a guitar; in one Raffaello is listening while in the other he is playing it for his companion. In these paintings, the listener is put in the spotlight and the player remains in the shadows. The same thing happens in this tea table piece. The work emphasizes the listeners, and not the player as the narrator of the story. Does the musician in the painting symbolize the artist who depicts her subject from shade, or is the painting just technically better this way?

All of the ‘At the table’ paintings are united by the depiction of light, which is one of the central features of Elin Danielson-Gambogi's art. She was fascinated by the contrast between light and shade. In this painting ‘The Evening tea’ the player's face is in shadows, while the guitar in her lap and her hands are in the light. The empty place on the sofa next to her is also bathed in light, and that emptiness is emphasized by the light as well as the pillow. As if someone from the party is missing. Elin travelled to Finland alone, hence the empty seat could belong to her spouse Raffaello Gambogi, who stayed in Italy.

(Text: Art Historian Virve Heininen)

Aihe The Evening Tea
Tekniikka oil
Signeerattu Yes
Height 60
Width 81 cm
Description

Three women are sitting at a table with teacups in front of them. They are partially pictured from the side. The face of the person sitting on the sofa, playing the guitar, is almost completely in the shade, while the profiles of the other two women shine in the light. The gaze of the person sitting behind the table is directed at the cup raised to lips, whereas one of them concentrates on watching and listening to her friend playing the guitar. The painting was made at the beginning of the 20th century. During that time, the artist Elin Danielson-Gambogi often visited Finland, as she was a very sought-after portrait painter in her home country. With her, she brought paintings made in Italy for exhibitions and sales in Finland.

Elin Danielson-Gambogi knew very early on wanting to become an artist and started her studies in Helsinki at the Art Association's drawing school in 1876, only at 15 years old. As an enthusiastic young artist, she wanted to spend her time drawing and painting. After her father's early death, Elin moved with her mother and sister to her mother's childhood home. In addition, Elin's aunt, great-aunt and uncle with his family lived there. More relatives lived nearby. Thus there were enough models in the home circle. By depicting these people, she developed to a good portrait artist early on. The subject of ‘The Evening Tea’ is typical for Elin Danielson-Gambogi. Being together with her relatives, she liked to paint them at the table, focused on their own chores. Such a motif, painting people gathered around a table, was a quite ordinary subject, and depicting those was typical for realism, the secrets of which Elin learned during her visits to Paris in the 1880s.

Elin Danielson-Gambogi also painted the same subject in Italy, where she moved after marrying the Italian artist Raffaello Gambogi in 1898. In the letters she wrote to Finland, Elin told how their evenings in Italy included friends gathered around the table and playing music. Elin's husband, Raffaello Gambogi, is the second person in the two paintings portrayed the ‘at the table’ theme painted in Italy. Both of those paintings also feature a guitar; in one Raffaello is listening while in the other he is playing it for his companion. In these paintings, the listener is put in the spotlight and the player remains in the shadows. The same thing happens in this tea table piece. The work emphasizes the listeners, and not the player as the narrator of the story. Does the musician in the painting symbolize the artist who depicts her subject from shade, or is the painting just technically better this way?

All of the ‘At the table’ paintings are united by the depiction of light, which is one of the central features of Elin Danielson-Gambogi's art. She was fascinated by the contrast between light and shade. In this painting ‘The Evening tea’ the player's face is in shadows, while the guitar in her lap and her hands are in the light. The empty place on the sofa next to her is also bathed in light, and that emptiness is emphasized by the light as well as the pillow. As if someone from the party is missing. Elin travelled to Finland alone, hence the empty seat could belong to her spouse Raffaello Gambogi, who stayed in Italy.

(Text: Art Historian Virve Heininen)

Collecting time 

within five days (5) at the address Tehtaankatu 36, 00150 Helsinki, FIN. The collecting time is weekdays between 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during the first Saturday from auction between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 
More information here. The Auctioneer is entitled to charge 5 euros/lot/day for each stored object (large-sized objects 10 euros/lot/day) when the collecting time has ended. 

  • Tehtaankatu 27, 00150 Helsinki
  • tehtaankatu@hagelstam.fi
  • 09 6877 610
  • Tehtaankatu 36, 00150 Helsinki
  • hagelstam@hagelstam.fi
  • 09 6877 990