Sailing from Copenhagen to Charlottenlund

After 1820 marine scenes became Eckersberg’s favourite subject. Here, he pursued his own interests rather than the official demands of the age. He was keenly interested in the typology of ships and depicted their many details, such as the shape of the hull, the sails, and the cordage, with great care. He would experiment, too; in this case by giving the painting its unusual circular shape. He has depicted a sailing boat on the Sound as if observing it through a telescope from another boat – which he probably did! Eckersberg depicts a popular Sunday pursuit of the day: a trip from Copenhagen to Charlottenlund. The 10 km trip would be made in sailboats or on the first Danish steamer, Caledonia (visible in the background). A young couple stand on the prow of the ship – a pose also adopted by the young couple in the film Titanic some 175 years later.