Anna Ancher’s work is to become part of the ARoS collection

Thanks to generous support from the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation, the work Wisteria (n.d.) by the Danish Skagen painter Anna Ancher has now been added to the ARoS Collection.

Anna Ancher (1859–1935) is regarded as one of the greatest names in Danish painting – known for her experimental exploration of light and colour and her ability to portray people with intense immediacy.

In the painting Wisteria, which has now been added to the ARoS Collection, Ancher gets right up close to her subject, almost stepping into the wisteria itself. With small, swift brushstrokes, she captures the blue-violet flowers and the green foliage, making the painting buzz with light and colour.

“The work underscores Anna Ancher’s status as one of Denmark’s most significant Impressionist artists. Through her encounters with the French Impressionists – during her trips to Paris in 1885 and 1889 and at exhibitions of French art in Copenhagen – she began to experiment with new colours and the shimmering qualities of light. We are therefore delighted to be able to add yet another of her works to our collection,” says Stinna Toft, Chief Curator at ARoS.

The work remained in the possession of Ancher’s daughter, Helga Ancher (1883–1964), until her death. It offers a unique insight into Ancher’s experimental and playful approach to painting and the fascination with light and colour that accompanied her throughout her life.

ARoS already holds the painting Young Woman Arranging Flowers (1885) and the etching Woman Reading (1898) by Anna Ancher in its collection.

Wisteria will be on display from 28 November 2026 in ARoS’s new collection presentation on Level 6 of the museum.

The acquisition of Wisteria has been made possible thanks to generous support from the Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation.

For further information, please contact:
ARoS Press and Communications
presse@aros.dk
+45 61904942

Credit: Anna Ancher, Blåregn (u.å.). Photo: Bruun Rasmussen