Wilhelm Marstrand – Scene from Ludvig Holberg’s “The Happy Shipwreck” – Unsigned – Oil on Canvas – 95 x 135 cm
Great condition
Oil on canvas attributed to Wilhelm Marstrand (1810–1873), depicting the final scene from Ludvig Holberg’s comedy “The Happy Shipwreck”. The painting is unsigned and measures 95 x 135 cm. The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek owns another version of this motif (90 x 127 cm), where both the interior and the figures differ from the present example. Nivaagaard also holds a preparatory sketch for the scene, showing both similarities and notable variations compared to the two painted versions.
According to Karl Madsen (1905), Marstrand worked with great care on the composition, supported by numerous studies and drawings. He specifically describes how prominent characters were placed in the scene – including the talkative officer with a feathered hat and the proud noblewoman, both given central positions.
The painting shows the concluding courtroom scene in which Rosiflengius receives his sentence. He is condemned to wear the so-called “Spanish cloak”: a barrel with an opening for the head, placed over individuals who had caused public disorder, and used to expose them to ridicule as they were led through the streets. In Holberg’s comedy, Rosiflengius is punished for giving excessive and uncritical praise; his name literally means “praise-at-random”.
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