Emil Carlsen : The kitchen maid, ca.1884.

ECA record control number: 34982 (old #25606)

Archives of American Art #: [none]

Record level: Item

Record type: Movable work

Work title: The kitchen maid  [from online auction catalog]

Alternate work titles:
2018 : The kitchen maid [from online auction catalog]

Work date: 1884 [date based on work being a study for a work dated 1884/1885]

Work creator: Emil Carlsen [1848-1932]

Work medium: Oil on canvas laid on board
Work dimensions: 20 x 16 inches [unframed] | 24 x 21 inches [framed]

Inscribed / signed front:
Location: At lower left.
Dated: No.
Text: ‘Emil. Carlsen. ‘.

Verso: [none]

ECA category: People
ECA sub-category: Genre

Archives of American Art subjects:
Animal
Animal — Bird
Animal — Bird — Chicken
Architecture interior
Figure female
Figure female — Full length
Still Life
Still Life — Game
Still Life — Game — Bird
Still Life — Other
Still Life — Other — Container
Still Life — Other — Cookware

Description of work:

Provenance / ownership:
2025 Private collection of [withheld], WA ;
2025 ( Clars Auction Gallery [1948- ], 5644 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609 ) ;
2018 Private collection of Patrick Gilligan [b.1946- ] & Shelley Gilligan [b.1948- ], San Francisco, CA ;
2018 ( New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc. [1991- ], 801 Magazine Street At 510 Julia, New Orleans, LA 70130 | 333 St Joseph St, New Orleans, LA 70130 ) ;
after ca.1884 Private collection of [unknown] ;
ca.1884 Emil Carlsen [1848-1932], the artist .

Exhibition history:
2025 Clars Auction Gallery [1948- ], Oakland, CA, “August auction and estate of Dianne Feinstein”, August 15.
2025 Clars Auction Gallery [1948- ], Oakland, CA, “Modern design, art, jewelry and Asian auction”, July 18.
2018 New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc. [1991- ], New Orleans, LA, “Fine art auction”, April 21.

References / citations:
– Clars Auction Gallery [1948- ], Oakland, CA, “August auction and estate of Dianne Feinstein”, August 15, 2025, lot 4282, illustrated : color online.
– Clars Auction Gallery [1948- ], Oakland, CA, “Modern design, art, jewelry and Asian auction”, July 18, 2025, lot 318, illustrated : color online.
– New Orleans Auction Galleries, Inc. [1991- ], New Orleans, LA, online catalog, “Fine art auction”, April 21, 2018, lot 113, page 73, illustrated : color on page 73.

Related works:
– A girl preparing poultry, 1884/1885. [This is the finished piece for this study]

ECA notes:
– This painting is a study for A girl preparing poultry, 1884/1885 which won the Paris Salon of 1885.
– Work has been restored and repaired as per current owner by Dr. Grashe, 35 148th Ave SE Ste 9 Bellevue, WA 98007 in 2025 [http://grashe.com].  Repairs per the owner: “It is currently in a pretty abominable shape, covered in serious craquelure, but it is undamaged and it is still in the original art deco frame, with the original canvas over which the painting is stretched original nails etc. The restorer is curious if there might be another work underneath, but it would be too stressful on the canvas to remove, and the value of the painting doesn’t warrant x-ray exploration.  Another interesting point he [the restorer] made, is that this is not a study for a future painting, but a 99% completed painting where the final touches were going to be made once the painting was sold – note the fingers and eyes being unfinished. Also, the artist has very sloppily and heavy handedly with a broad brush applied the protective coating over it.”

Price history:
2025 – $1,500 – $2,500 USD [estimate] ;
2025 – $3,000 – $5,000 USD [estimate – unsold] ;
2018 – $3,000 USD [post-auction sale] ;

Document information

Document permalink:
https://emilcarlsen.org/work/?p=34982

Digital-born document number:
ECA.2024.34982

Digital document provenance:
Original compiled and researched document by the Emil Carlsen Archives, 266 West 21st Street, Suite 4E, New York, NY 10011.

Document license:
Creative Commons Corporation  shareAlike (sa) license.  Some of the information contained within this document may hold further publication restrictions depending on final use.  It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine.

Image license:
The author of this artwork died more than 70 years ago. According to U.S. Copyright Law, copyright expires 70 years after the author’s death. In other countries, legislation may differ.

Record birth date:
April 7, 2018

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