Johannes Larsen
Encyclopedia
Johannes Larsen was a Danish nature painter.
on Funen
, Larsen studied art at the Free School in Copenhagen
under Kristian Zahrtmann
in the 1880s. There he met other painters from Funen, notably Fritz Syberg
and Peter Hansen
, both from the southern port of Faaborg
, and the Funish Painters' group was born. They went on to create an art colony that influenced many Danish and Swedish artists and brought them success. Johannes Larsen's home, Møllebakken in Kerteminde
, became the gathering place in summer months for many painters, particularly younger artists from Zahrtmann's school.
Their ideal was to paint outdoors, not just sketching but painting in all kinds of weather. Their paintings have a freshness and energy not previously seen, except in sketches. Once they became successful, they were attacked by symbolist artists for being "farmer painters" in a newspaper debate in 1907. This only brought the Funish group more sympathy, especially from a group of authors working from the provinces in Jutland. Their chief spokesman was Johannes V. Jensen, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930.
In 1910, a canning manufacturer, Mads Rasmussen, decided to start a museum for Funish Art next to his canning factory in Faaborg. He created the Faaborg Museum, which still exists, and gave the Funish painters a boost, both by making their works available to a broad public and by supporting them financially. Kristian Zahrtmann exhorted all his students to paint in Italy; now some of them could afford to do so, and the Syberg and Hansen families enjoyed extended stays there. Johannes Larsen and his artist wife, Alhed Warberg
, built a large studio and travelled mostly in Scandinavia.
Johannes Larsen was mainly heralded as a bird painter, before this was a familiar genre in Scandinavia. He popularized images of birds, particularly through his woodcuts and smaller paintings. Later he received commissions to illustrate books and paint large paintings for public buildings, such as the Queen's receiving room at Christiansborg Castle (the Danish Parliament) and the City Hall of Odense, capital city of Fyn.
There were several female Funish painters, struggling to be considered along with their male counterparts with greater or lesser success. They were Alhed Warberg Larsen, Anna Hansen Syberg and Christine Larsen Swane, the wives and/or sisters of Johannes Larsen, Fritz Syberg and Peter Hansen. Their paintings are considered worthy of inclusion in many museums and collections today, though at the time they had a hard time exhibiting on an equal footing with their male colleagues. Christine Swane, who lived the longest, became a member of the artist cooperative called Corner when she was 60 and enjoyed great success in her later years.
The work of all these artists can be seen at the Johannes Larsen Museum in Kerteminde
, the Faaborg Museum in Faaborg
, the Statens Museum for Kunst
(National Art Museum) in Copenhagen
, Funen's Art Museum
in Odense
, as well as in many other museums and collections.
Biography
Born in KertemindeKerteminde
Kerteminde , is a town in central Denmark, located in Kerteminde Municipality on the island of Funen. The town has a population of 5,698 . It is a small harbor town surrounded by farms...
on Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
, Larsen studied art at the Free School in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
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...
under Kristian Zahrtmann
Kristian Zahrtmann
Peder Henrik Kristian Zahrtmann, known as Kristian Zahrtmann, was a Danish painter. He was a part of the Danish artistic generation in the late 19th century, along with Peder Severin Krøyer and Theodor Esbern Philipsen, who broke away from both the strictures of traditional Academicism and the...
in the 1880s. There he met other painters from Funen, notably Fritz Syberg
Fritz Syberg
Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Syberg, generally known as Fritz Syberg, was a Danish painter and illustrator, one of the reactionary Fynboerne or "Funen Painters" group living and working on the island of Funen.-Biography:Syberg, from a poor background in Fåborg, first served a house...
and Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen may refer to:*Peter Marius Hansen, , Danish painter*Peter Hansen , Danish relief worker*Peter Andreas Hansen , Danish astronomer*Peter Hansen , American actor*Peter O...
, both from the southern port of Faaborg
Faaborg
Faaborg or Fåborg is a Danish town with a population of 7,178 , located in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen. It was formerly the seat of Faaborg municipality. The seat of the new municipality is Ringe...
, and the Funish Painters' group was born. They went on to create an art colony that influenced many Danish and Swedish artists and brought them success. Johannes Larsen's home, Møllebakken in Kerteminde
Kerteminde
Kerteminde , is a town in central Denmark, located in Kerteminde Municipality on the island of Funen. The town has a population of 5,698 . It is a small harbor town surrounded by farms...
, became the gathering place in summer months for many painters, particularly younger artists from Zahrtmann's school.
Their ideal was to paint outdoors, not just sketching but painting in all kinds of weather. Their paintings have a freshness and energy not previously seen, except in sketches. Once they became successful, they were attacked by symbolist artists for being "farmer painters" in a newspaper debate in 1907. This only brought the Funish group more sympathy, especially from a group of authors working from the provinces in Jutland. Their chief spokesman was Johannes V. Jensen, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1930.
In 1910, a canning manufacturer, Mads Rasmussen, decided to start a museum for Funish Art next to his canning factory in Faaborg. He created the Faaborg Museum, which still exists, and gave the Funish painters a boost, both by making their works available to a broad public and by supporting them financially. Kristian Zahrtmann exhorted all his students to paint in Italy; now some of them could afford to do so, and the Syberg and Hansen families enjoyed extended stays there. Johannes Larsen and his artist wife, Alhed Warberg
Alhed Larsen
Alhed Maria Larsen née Warberg , the wife of Johannes Larsen, was one of the Fynboerne or "Funen Artists" who lived and worked on the Danish island of Funen.-Biography:...
, built a large studio and travelled mostly in Scandinavia.
Johannes Larsen was mainly heralded as a bird painter, before this was a familiar genre in Scandinavia. He popularized images of birds, particularly through his woodcuts and smaller paintings. Later he received commissions to illustrate books and paint large paintings for public buildings, such as the Queen's receiving room at Christiansborg Castle (the Danish Parliament) and the City Hall of Odense, capital city of Fyn.
There were several female Funish painters, struggling to be considered along with their male counterparts with greater or lesser success. They were Alhed Warberg Larsen, Anna Hansen Syberg and Christine Larsen Swane, the wives and/or sisters of Johannes Larsen, Fritz Syberg and Peter Hansen. Their paintings are considered worthy of inclusion in many museums and collections today, though at the time they had a hard time exhibiting on an equal footing with their male colleagues. Christine Swane, who lived the longest, became a member of the artist cooperative called Corner when she was 60 and enjoyed great success in her later years.
The work of all these artists can be seen at the Johannes Larsen Museum in Kerteminde
Kerteminde
Kerteminde , is a town in central Denmark, located in Kerteminde Municipality on the island of Funen. The town has a population of 5,698 . It is a small harbor town surrounded by farms...
, the Faaborg Museum in Faaborg
Faaborg
Faaborg or Fåborg is a Danish town with a population of 7,178 , located in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen. It was formerly the seat of Faaborg municipality. The seat of the new municipality is Ringe...
, the Statens Museum for Kunst
Statens Museum for Kunst
Statens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
(National Art Museum) in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
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...
, Funen's Art Museum
Funen's Art Museum
Funen's Art Museum , formerly The Museum of Funen's Abbey and Museum Civitatis Othiniensis, founded in 1885, is an art museum in Odense, Denmark....
in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, as well as in many other museums and collections.