Internationally recognised art and literary critic, writer and cultural producer. Published in ELLE, Glamour, Esquire and Cosmopolitan; member of the Union of Writers.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II is not only the head of state of one of the world’s oldest monarchies, but also a talented artist who has created paintings, illustrations, costumes, and even stamps. One of her paintings, a landscape of her summer residence, will be auctioned off in March, offering a rare glimpse into the personal life and artistic vision of the 83-year-old sovereign.
The painting, titled “The Garden at Fredensborg Palace,” was painted in 2003 as a gift for the queen’s late husband, Prince Henrik, who passed away in 2018. The couple spent many summers at the palace, which is located north of Copenhagen and dates back to the 18th century. The painting shows the lush greenery and colorful flowers of the palace garden, as well as a glimpse of the lake and the dome of the palace chapel.
The painting is part of a collection of artworks from the prince’s estate that will be sold by Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers in Copenhagen on March 2. The auction house estimates the painting to fetch between $11,000 and $15,000, a modest sum compared to the millions that some royal artworks have commanded in the past. For example, in 2019, a portrait of Marie Antoinette by Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun sold for $32.2 million at Sotheby’s in New York.
However, the value of the painting is not in its monetary worth, but in its sentimental and historical significance. The painting reveals the queen’s “great love for nature and the changing seasons,” according to the auction house, as well as her artistic skills and style. The queen, who ascended to the throne in 1972, has been painting since she was a child and has exhibited her works in Denmark and abroad. She has also illustrated books, such as the Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings, and designed costumes and sets for theater and ballet productions, such as The Nutcracker and A Folk Tale.
The queen is not the only royal with artistic talents. Her son, Crown Prince Frederik, is a keen photographer and has published a book of his photos of Greenland. Her sister, Princess Benedikte, is a patron of the arts and has supported various cultural institutions and events. Her cousin, Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, was an avid collector of modern art and amassed a remarkable collection of works by Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, and others.
The auction of the queen’s painting is a rare opportunity for art lovers and royal fans to own a piece of history and a glimpse into the artistic side of Denmark’s queen. As the auction house puts it, the painting is “a testimony to the fact that Queen Margrethe II is not only Denmark’s regent, but also a very gifted artist.”
