Willy Bille, Nocturne With Harbour & Moored Vessels

Willy Bille, Nocturne With Harbour & Moored VesselsThis enriching early 20th century nocturne by Danish artist Willy Bille (1889 1944) depicts a harbour under moonlight. Its a jutting combination of forms with a contradictory emphasis on the absence of light. The lack of contrast brings the buildings together, which quietly stand behind the subtle silhouette of a moored fishing boat. The composition asks questions, pulls you in. Willy Bille was the product of a proud family of marine painters. His

northern Italy

his earliest predilections were such as disqualified him for mechanical pursuits

Coming behind us

They were controversial as they abandoned their academic teachings in favour of light-filled impressions and broad broken marks

The painting is housed within a beautiful period frame with swept corners and foliate ornamentation

The portrait is housed within a mid-19th-century frame that could be the original

It’s in the manner of Flemish artist Bonaventura Peeters the Elder (1614-1652) who was a master at capturing oceanic theatrics

The Empire dress became popular at the beginning of the 19th-century during a revival of styles from Greco-Roman art

It’s a study directly from nature by one of the foremost plein air painters of his generation

It hung until around 1960 when it was taken down and mounted in a wooden frame

Wansleben studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy and his works were shown at several prestigious exhibitions including at the Great Berlin Art Exhibition in 1919

It’s possible that she returned to teach or perhaps attend further classes