![Christen Købke - The Northern Drawbridge to the Citadel in Copenhagen [1837]](http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3895/14689568525_85ba0ca11f_o.jpg)
This view is from the Citadel of Copenhagen towards one of the bridges of the moat. The artist lived with his family in the Citadel until 1833 and this canvas may have been painted as a souvenir for Købke's mother, the first recorded owner of the picture. It was preceded by a detailed drawing and an oil sketch, both of which survive. They show that the artist made slight alterations in the final painting, adding the two soldiers who are shown fishing on the far bank of the moat, and omitting a tree on the right.
Købke was born in Copenhagen, where he trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts from 1822 to 1832. In 1838 he travelled to Italy via Germany where he visited the painter J.C. Dahl in Dresden. He stayed in Rome, Pompeii and Naples, but spent much of his time sketching outdoors on the island of Capri.
Købke painted mainly landscapes and portraits. His landscape paintings are usually based on plein air studies and often depict subjects close to his home in Copenhagen. The majority of his portraits are of relatives or close friends.
[National Gallery, London - Oil on canvas, 44.2 x 65.1 cm]