Michael and Anna Ancher House
Encyclopedia
The Michael and Anna Ancher House (Danish
: Michael og Anna Anchers Hus) is the former residence of the painters Michael and Anna Ancher
in Skagen
, Denmark
. They were both central figures in the artist colony of Skagen Painters
who lived and worked in the town during late 19th and early 20th century. They lived in the house for five decades and in 1813 expanded it with a studio annex designed by Ulrik Plesner, another member of the colony.
Their house now serves as a historic house museum and displays a large collection of their works. In 1989 the museum was expanded with the neighbouring Saxild House which is used for special exhibitions.
The house on Markvej was purchased in 1884. In 1913, a large studio annex was added to the property.
After the death of Michael and Anna Ancher in 1927 and 1935, respectively, the property was taken over by Helga Ancher, their only child, who owned it until her death in 1964. She left the house and all of its contents to a foundation. The former residence was restored and opened as a museum and visitor attraction.
In 1989 the Aage V. Jensens Foundation acquired the neighbouring Saxild House (Saxilds Gaard) and donated it to the museum. The property had been in the posession of the Saxild family from the late 18th century until 1959. The east wing housed a bakery from 1810 to 1919.
The Saxild House hosts special exhibitions, usually of paintings by Michael and Anna Ancher as well as those of many other Skagen painters who made up their circle of friends.
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
: Michael og Anna Anchers Hus) is the former residence of the painters Michael and Anna Ancher
Anna Ancher
Anna Ancher was a Danish artist associated with the Skagen Painters, an artists' colony in the very north of Jutland.-Background:...
in Skagen
Skagen
Skagen is a projection of land and a town, with a population of 8,515 , in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark...
, 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...
. They were both central figures in the artist colony of Skagen Painters
Skagen Painters
The Skagen Painters were a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered in the area of Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, from the late 1870s until the turn of the century...
who lived and worked in the town during late 19th and early 20th century. They lived in the house for five decades and in 1813 expanded it with a studio annex designed by Ulrik Plesner, another member of the colony.
Their house now serves as a historic house museum and displays a large collection of their works. In 1989 the museum was expanded with the neighbouring Saxild House which is used for special exhibitions.
History
After their marriage in 1880, Michael and Anna Ancher took up residency in the Garden House at Brøndums Hotel which was owned by Anna's parents.The house on Markvej was purchased in 1884. In 1913, a large studio annex was added to the property.
After the death of Michael and Anna Ancher in 1927 and 1935, respectively, the property was taken over by Helga Ancher, their only child, who owned it until her death in 1964. She left the house and all of its contents to a foundation. The former residence was restored and opened as a museum and visitor attraction.
In 1989 the Aage V. Jensens Foundation acquired the neighbouring Saxild House (Saxilds Gaard) and donated it to the museum. The property had been in the posession of the Saxild family from the late 18th century until 1959. The east wing housed a bakery from 1810 to 1919.
Ancher House today
Original furniture and paintings created by the Anchers and other Skagen artists are shown in the restored home and studio.The Saxild House hosts special exhibitions, usually of paintings by Michael and Anna Ancher as well as those of many other Skagen painters who made up their circle of friends.