Peder Monsted, Village Pond in Herstedvester, Signed and Dated 1923

Peder Mørk Mønsted (Danish, 1859-1941) was a leading Danish landscape painter of his time, known for his photo-realist style. He trained at the Copenhagen Academy from 1876-1879 and worked under the artists Peder Severin Kroyer and William Adolphe Bouguereau. Monsted traveled throughout his career, including to France, Switzerland, Italy, and North Africa. Although most well known for his landscapes, he did paint portraits and figural scenes as well. Monsted was the favorite painter of King George of Greece, and was invited to Athens in 1893 where he painted the city and the Greek countryside for a year. Monsted exhibited his works at the Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen, and his paintings are featured today all over the world, including the Dahesh Museum of Art in New York and the Chi Mei Museum in Tainan, Taiwan.