Danish Painting

The unknown artists of the early Christian era are a hidden delight of Danish history. Some of the greatest cultural treasures of Denmark are to be found in its church art of the Middle Ages, in the quite fabulous murals which decorate the walls of around 400 medieval churches. The murals relate to tales from the scriptures, reflecting the progress of Christianity in the nation from the Viking period onwards.

Previously unknown Magic Dance painted by famous Danish artist Asger Jorn 1944, was put up for auction held by Bruun Rasmussen on 1 March 2010.

Vilhelm Freddie’s ‘pornographic’ imagery was too much for some people in 1937, leading to his arrest Copenhagen may have a very liberal arts scene today but in the 1930s conservatism was the norm. When the avant- garde art group ‘Grønningen’ launched an exhibition in the Art Academy’s Charlottenburg venue overlooking Nyhavn in Copenhagen in January 1933, offending the public’s sensibilities was possibly the last thing this innovative band of artists had in mind.

Christen Schiellerup Koebke’s landscapes opened a new era in Danish painting art. The painter himself, who died young at the age of 38, grew up in a solvent bourgeois family, and, therefore, it was easier for him than for other young people to devote himself to art. At the age of 12, Koebke became a student of Copenhagen Academy of Arts, where he first was an apprentice at K.A. Lorentsen, and then, at K.B. Eckersberg. As it was conventional at that time, Koebke made his boarding-school travelling to Italy, after which Italian themes served as a plot to many of his studio paintings during a long time. The painter lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, close to Frederikshavn Citadel, as well as in a place, known as Blydammen, a land of bleachers, near the lake of Sortedam, behind the then territory of the capital.

Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783-1853) is the most significant Danish artist of first half of XIX century, the mainest painters of the 19 century, who has made "Golden Age" of the Danish fine arts. He calls «the father of the Danish painting», because numerous pupils were impressed by his innovative art technique. Eckersberg's heritage has helped to other artists in their searches of national self-determination, that was very important in Denmark during that time.

Jens Juel (1745-1802) has become famous in Denmark as a great portraitist of his time. He created during the time, which has been preceded to a "gold" century of the Danish art, i.e. at  the last decades XVIII centuries. He showed his art talent from the childhood. Juel started his education in Germany (Hamburg). In further his portrait style in many aspects has been defined by North-German and Dutch painting of XVII–XVIII centuries.