Ernst Josephson

Exhibited by Åmells

Material Oil on canvas

Dimensions 90 x 119 cm (35 x 47 in)

Place of Creation Paris

Status Vetted

About the Work

July 14 is based on a very elaborate composition. Josephson has arranged the Italian models so that it looks like they are outdoors. In fact, they were lined up against a wall in the artist's then studio at 22 Rue Monsieur le Prince in Montparnasse.

What the viewer experiences as a pergola or a corridor is the studio window, whose window frames are clad with ivy to give the illusion of vegetation in the open air. The houses in the background belong to the static view that Josephson had outside the window every day. By painting the festively swaying Tricolors there and letting the models act as if they were in a hurry, he still manages to create movement in the image and give the painting an apparent air of lively elation and anticipation. Here Josephson shows proof of his unique ability to combine free imagination and meticulous realism into a functioning and convincing whole. Realism is less "raw" than in, for example, Spanish blacksmiths, but at the same time the painting expresses the sympathy for the southern life of the people that Josephson developed already during the time he himself lived in Italy. The same year he painted July 14, he made the poor, wandering Italians on the streets of Paris the subject of another famous painting, entitled A Traveling Theater Company. Obviously, the slightly heartbreaking elements in these motifs, where the children were given prominent roles, were appreciated by the contemporary audience. Spanish blacksmiths had been rejected at the 1882 Paris Salon, but July 14 was adopted the following year and has since been included in a number of important exhibitions both in Sweden and abroad.

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Provenance

Provenance
Wholesaler Wilhelm Josephson (artist's uncle, 1827-1917);
wholesaler John Josephson, Stockholm (son of the above, also the artist's cousin, 1866-1940);
Mrs. Ellen Josephson, Stockholm (widow of the above, 1871-1965);
Nordén Auktioner, Stockholm, auction no. 18, 17 May 1995, cat no. 102;
J.E. Safra Collection (acquired at the above auction).

Exhibited
Palais des Champs Elysees, Paris, Paris-Salon, Exposition des Beaux-Arts, 1883, cat no 1283;
Nordic Art Exhibition, Copenhagen, July 1883, cat. No. 46;
Gothenburg 1883 (according to Wåhlin 1912, p. 314);
Universal Exposition of 1889, Paris, Cat No. 54;
Ernst Josephson. Exhibition, Stockholm, February 1893, cat no. 47;
Stockholm 1897 (according to Wåhlin 1912, p. 314);
Konstnärsförbundet, Memorial Exhibition 1885-1905, cat no. 209;
Konstnärsförbundet, exhibition in Berlin, 1910, cat no. 88;
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Ernst Josephson, SAK 1923, cat no. 74;
Galerie S: t Lucas, Stockholm, Ernst Josephson. Paintings from private collections, 1942, cat no. 56;
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Opponentsna av 1885, 1945, kat nr 26;
Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm, Ernst Josephson. Memorial exhibition, organized by the National Museum, Gothenburg Art Museum and Liljevalchs Konsthall, 1951, cat no. 142;
Prince Eugens Waldemarsudde, Stockholm, Ernst Josephson, 14 Nov 1991 - 1 Mar 1992, cat no 42;
Borås Art Museum, Ernst Josephson, March 15 - May 17, 1992.

Literature

Ernst Josephson, Small art books no. 14, Gleerupska universitetsbokhandeln, Lund (u.å), pictured p. 43;
Godfrey Renholm, "Salonen i Paris", mentioned in an article in Göteborgs-Posten, 19 May 1883;
Karl Warburg, mentioned in a report in Göteborgs Handels-och Sjöfartstidning, 14 July 1883;
Carl Rupert Nyblom, mentioned in a report in Post- och inrikes tidningar, 28 July 1883;
Richard Kaufmann, mentioned in the report in Göteborgs Handels- och Sjöfartstidning, 1883;
Karl Wåhlin, Ernst Josephson. A memorial. Later part (II) 1879-1906, Stockholm 1912, mentioned p. 74, depicted in black and white, p. 73 and listed and described in the list of works, p. 314, as cat no. 128;
Georg Pauli, Ernst Josephson, 1914, mentioned pp. 30-31;
Georg Pauli, Opponents, 1927, mentioned p. 12;
Gertrud Serner, Catalog of John Josephson's collection, Stockholm 1937, described and depicted in black and white as cat no. 76, p. 116;
Sixten Strömbom, Konstnärsförbundets historia, del I, 1945, omnämnd s 166 och 182;
Erik Blomberg, Ernst Josephson. His life, Stockholm 1951, mentioned pp. 311-313, depicted in black and white, pp. 311;
Erik Blomberg, Ernst Josephson's art, Stockholm 1956, mentioned p. 149, depicted p. 150;
Erik Blomberg, Paintings and Drawings by Ernst Josephson 1851-1906, exhibition catalog produced by Portland Art Museum, Oregon, USA in collaboration with Gothenburg Art Museum 1964 before traveling exhibition in the USA 1964-1965 (Portland Art Museum, Oregon - California Palace of the Legion of Honor , San Francisco - La Jolla Museum of Art, California - University Gallery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis - Gallery of Modern Art, New York);
Per-Olov Zennström, Ernst Josephson. A study, Malmö 1978, mentioned p. 94, depicted in black and white, p. 95; Peter Spielmann (ed), Ernst Josephson. Bilder und Zeichnungen, (opag.) Catalog for exhibition in the Städtisches Kunstmuseum, Bonn March 22 - May 6, 1979 and Bochum Museum, Bochum May 19 - June 20, 1979, Bonn 1979, mentioned in the biography section during the year 1883;
Henri Usselman, "14 July 'Ernst Josephson", article in Konsthistorisk tidskrift, 1983, pp. 75-82;
Hans-Henrik Brummer, Ernst Josephson, Stockholm 1991, mentioned in chronology, p. 167;
Hans Henrik Brummer, Ernst Josephson. Painter and poet, Stockholm 2001, mentioned p 115.