This month we feature a painting by Danish artist Kaj Skjødt Pedersen (1927 – 1997). Still Life: Jugs and Spoon is an oil painting on canvas, probably painted in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

About the painting

This striking still life painting depicts colourful jugs, bowl and ladle on a tray. Kaj Skjødt Pedersen created many similar still life paintings featuring strong, colourful forms with contrasting black backgrounds. In this painting are echoes of 17th century still life paintings, in which the objects in the painting are lit from one side, but are set in shadow. This method, entitled chiaroscuro, makes use of strong contrasts between light and dark to create a bold composition and achieve a sense of volume in three-dimensional objects.

The style of this painting could also be described as expressionist. Expressionism is an artform in which powerful colours and dynamic compositions represent vivid emotions. Through simple colours and shapes one can sense moods and feelings in a painting.

You will see that this painting, as with others by Kaj Skjødt Pedersen, is signed ‘Cay – S’.

About the Artist

Kaj Skjødt Pedersen was born in 1927 and was brought up in Copenhagen. He was one of eleven children and he left home at 18 years old. He travelled to Sweden and Norway where he took on a variety of unskilled jobs. When he returned to Denmark, he received art tuition from Danish female artist and teacher Jonna Sejg.

Very much a prominent and well-respected member of his community in the small town of Slangerup in Denmark, he completed paintings for his local town hall, the church and a conference centre. Some of his paintings are still in the art collection at the Town Hall there and in the year after his death, a memorial exhibition for Kaj Skjødt was held at Slangerup Town Hall, organised by the local Historical Association.

In an obituary to the painter from two residents of Slangerup, he is remembered as creating woodcarvings, masks, sculptures and drawings as well as his paintings. He also taught art, both to children and in evening classes.

Thank you to...

The family of Kaj Skjødt Pedersen, for providing biographical information about the artist and a photograph of the artist.

The 'Culture in Frederikssund' website (article about Kaj Skjødt Pedersen) : https://kuf.dk/kaj-skjodt-petersen/

Wikipedia