Erik Henningsen
Encyclopedia
Erik Ludvig Henningsen was a Danish
painter and illustrator. He is best known for his Social Realist
paintings of poor and exposed groups in the 1880s and 1890s. He was the younger brother of Frants Henningsen
who was also a painter.
to Frants Ludvig Henningsen (1820–1869), a grocer, and Hilda Charlotte Christine née Schou (1824–1880). He showed an early artistic talent and was articled to decorative painter A. Hellesen. He also took drawing lessons privately with C. V. Nielsen and was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1873. He graduated in 1877 and won several awards and distinctions, including the Academy's Annual Medal
in 1887 and 1890, the Ancher Prize in 1889, and in 1892 a travel scholarship of DKK
100.
His travels took him to Germany
, Italy
, France
and the Netherlands
.
In his paintings from the 1880s and 1890s, Henningsen was preoccupied with the rights and living conditions of groups such as the unemployed, women, workers, children and the elderly. Examples are Summum jus, summa injuria. The infantcide (1886, The Hirschsprung Collection
and Evicted (1892, Danish National Gallery
).
He also depicted the lighter aspects of human life, as in his paintings of street life in Copenhagen.
Towards the turn of the centory Henningsen mainly painted historical scenes. An example is his mural in the banquet hall of the University of Copenhagen
's main building on Vor Frue Plads in Copenhagen. It depicts the banquet at the Scandinavian Scientist Conference
held in Roskilde
in 1847. It completed a series of murals depicteding the history of the university of which the earlier painting had been created by Vilhelm Marstrand, Carl Bloch and Vilhelm Rosenstand.
During the two first decades of the 20th century he mainly painted genre works from the lives of the bourgoisie.
In 1900, the Tuborg Breweries announced a competition for a "decorative advertisement poster" to mark its 25 years jubilee. The first prize, which was rewarded with a sum of DKK 10,000, was taken by Jens Ferdinand Willumsen
, but it was ultimately Henningsen's entry, known as The Thirsty Man, which was put into production by the brewery. It has since obtained iconic status and become one of the most immediately recognizable posters in Denmark.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
painter and illustrator. He is best known for his Social Realist
Social realism
Social Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
paintings of poor and exposed groups in the 1880s and 1890s. He was the younger brother of Frants Henningsen
Frants Henningsen
Frants Peter Diderik Henningsen was a Danish painter, illustrator and professor. Erik Henningsen, also an artist, was his younger brother.-Biography:...
who was also a painter.
Biography
Erik Henningsen was born on 29 August 1855 in CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to Frants Ludvig Henningsen (1820–1869), a grocer, and Hilda Charlotte Christine née Schou (1824–1880). He showed an early artistic talent and was articled to decorative painter A. Hellesen. He also took drawing lessons privately with C. V. Nielsen and was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1873. He graduated in 1877 and won several awards and distinctions, including the Academy's Annual Medal
Eckersberg Medal
The Eckersberg Medal is an annual award of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts...
in 1887 and 1890, the Ancher Prize in 1889, and in 1892 a travel scholarship of DKK
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...
100.
His travels took him to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Artistic career
Henningsen became part of the group Bogstaveligheden, a forum for the Realists' humanitarian ideals about creating a better society through illumination and debate.In his paintings from the 1880s and 1890s, Henningsen was preoccupied with the rights and living conditions of groups such as the unemployed, women, workers, children and the elderly. Examples are Summum jus, summa injuria. The infantcide (1886, The Hirschsprung Collection
The Hirschsprung Collection
The Hirschsprung Collection is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in a parkland setting in Østre Anlæg, near the Danish National Gallery, and houses a large collection of Danish art from the 19th and early 20th century...
and Evicted (1892, Danish National Gallery
Statens Museum for Kunst
Statens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
).
He also depicted the lighter aspects of human life, as in his paintings of street life in Copenhagen.
Towards the turn of the centory Henningsen mainly painted historical scenes. An example is his mural in the banquet hall of the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
's main building on Vor Frue Plads in Copenhagen. It depicts the banquet at the Scandinavian Scientist Conference
Scandinavian Scientist Conference
The Scandinavian Scientist Conferences was a series of meetings 1839-1936 for scientist and physicists from Denmark, Norway and Sweden, later also Finland and Iceland, in the era Scandinavism...
held in Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
in 1847. It completed a series of murals depicteding the history of the university of which the earlier painting had been created by Vilhelm Marstrand, Carl Bloch and Vilhelm Rosenstand.
During the two first decades of the 20th century he mainly painted genre works from the lives of the bourgoisie.
Illustrations and decorative works
Henningsen also worked as an illustrator, both for the weekly magazine Ude og Hjemme and books such as Pietro Krohns Peters Jul (1914).In 1900, the Tuborg Breweries announced a competition for a "decorative advertisement poster" to mark its 25 years jubilee. The first prize, which was rewarded with a sum of DKK 10,000, was taken by Jens Ferdinand Willumsen
Jens Ferdinand Willumsen
Jens Ferdinand Willumsen was a Danish artist who was associated with the movements of Symbolism and Expressionism. Although he was Danish, Willumsen lived almost half of his life in France...
, but it was ultimately Henningsen's entry, known as The Thirsty Man, which was put into production by the brewery. It has since obtained iconic status and become one of the most immediately recognizable posters in Denmark.
Selected works
- Morning in Adressekontorets Gaard (1881)
- A snowy day at Gammeltorv (1886)
- Summum jus, summa injuria. The infantcide (1886, The Hirschsprung CollectionThe Hirschsprung CollectionThe Hirschsprung Collection is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in a parkland setting in Østre Anlæg, near the Danish National Gallery, and houses a large collection of Danish art from the 19th and early 20th century...
) - Break at Efterslægten School (1887)
- Parade of the Infantry (1888, Danish National GalleryStatens Museum for KunstStatens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
) - A constitutional celebration in the country (1891)
- Woman at the Grøndalshuset (1892)
- Evicted (1892, Danish National GalleryStatens Museum for KunstStatens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
) - A wounded worker (1895, Danish National GalleryStatens Museum for KunstStatens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
) - A lecture in the Dagmar Hall, Askov Folk High School (1903, Ribe Art Museum)