Silent Night

It is Christmas in the home of the Johansen family, who are dancing and singing round the Christmas tree in the living room. The artist’s wife Martha can be seen in the foreground between her daughters Ellen and little Nanna, and in the closed circle we also see her childhood friend Helene Christensen from Skagen. Who the eldest son Fritz is holding hands with remains a mystery, and although Johansen was busy in front of the easel, the merry comment was that it was Viggo himself who was standing behind the tree. In the corner we see Martha’s aunt, observing the expectant pleasure of the flock of children from a distance in the living room in Amaliegade in Copenhagen.

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