Vilhelm Kyhn
Encyclopedia
Peter Vilhelm Carl Kyhn, (30 March 1819 - 11 May 1903) was a Danish
landscape painter
who belonged to the generation of national romantic
painters immediately after the Danish Golden Age and before the Modern Breakthrough
. Even though he outlived many of his artistic peers by several decades, he remained a traditionalist and expressed strong criticism of many of the new trends in the painting of his day.
Kyhn also played a role as an educator, establishing several alternative art schools, including a painting school for women which was attended by Anna Ancher
among others.
to Carl Gottlieb Kyhn and his wife Sara Marie. His father was against his becoming an artist, and he was first put to train in a business office; then as a compromise he was allowed to train with copperplate engraver
, Georg Hoffmann. Here he learned to make vignette
s, a skill which became useful to him later when he learned to make etchings.
He also got the opportunity to begin his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1836. He entered the School of Plaster Model Painting in 1840, and into the School of Model Painting in 1841, where he was influenced by the classicism
of teacher Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
, father of the Golden Age of Danish Painting
, and J. L. Lund
. He was also influenced by Niels Lauritz Høyen
, another teacher at the Academy as well as an important art critic and art historian, who encouraged a unique Danish school of art. Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig
was also a source of inspiration in his turn towards national romanticism.
He won the small silver medallion in 1843 for a figure drawing, but he was set on becoming a landscape painter
. At about this time Danish landscapes started to become a serious domain for Danish artists. Kyhn became part of the movement and was able to exhibit his first landscape, "Et bornholmsk Strandparti" ("A View of the Beach on Bornholm
"), an area he had visited over a period of several years. This painting was purchased by the Danish Royal Painting Collection, now the tatens Museum for Kunst|Danish National Gallery, and later loaned to RoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum|Aarhus Art Museum}}.
In 1845, Kyhn won a prize in the Neuhausen Competition (Neuhausenske Konkurs) for "Landskab, hvori Foraaret karakteriseres" ("Spring Landscape").
and the north of Zealand, he began to seek out a travel stipend; he was awarded one in 1848. He delayed, however, his travels until the spring of 1850 on account of the turbulent times around the European revolutions of 1848 which led to Denmark’s becoming a constitutional monarchy
on 5 June 1849.
He traveled over the Netherlands
and Belgium
to Paris
in the spring of 1850, and reached Italy
in September of the same year. The following year he received an extension to his stipend. He painted few landscapes of the countries he visited, and only during his travels abroad.
bought from Kyhn show good development in his style. His landscape painting ability continued to improve over the years, as exemplified by the winter scene, "Kystparti ved Taarbæk" ("View of Coast near Taarbæk") and "Udsigt over det flade Land ved Bjærgelide" ("View over the flat land near Bjærgelide") painted in 1858, which featured the typical Danish countryside near Horsens
. The flat prairie
s of Jutland in this picture were not a popular subject at the time. He helped open the way for other artists to interpret this quintessential Danish landscape.
After 1863, he painted many scenes in the special light of Denmark’s late summer evenings. These include the atmospheric "Efter solnedgang i udkanten af en landsby" ("After Sunset on the Outskirts of a Village") painted in 1863 and "Sildig Sommeraften ved Himmelbjærget" ("Late Summer Evening near Himmelbjerget") painted in 1874. Both of these paintings are in the collection of the National Museum of Art.
He painted many landscapes in the area near Silkeborg
, and spent his summers starting in 1873 at Himmelbjerg
, one of Denmark’s highest points. It was likely in this area that Kyhn began to experiment with painting in the open air
, instead of painting in the studio as he had done previously and was customary.
1873-1888, and of the Exhibition Committee for the World Exhibition in Paris 1877-1878. He traveled to Sweden
in 1866 and 1874, to Norway
in 1873 and 1874, to Skagen
in 1877.
As a nationalist artist, the "blond artists" as they were called, he was excluded from membership in the Academy, and could not sell his paintings to the influential Kunstforeningen
at Gammel Strand
.
In reaction and opposition to the growing internationalism affecting young Danish artists who were choosing to travel to France as part of their education, and to the effect of this French training on Danish art, Kyhn sent a work to Paris
in 1876. The work was a defense of Danish national art and the Eckersberg school of painting. He traveled to Paris in 1878 where his work was exhibited at the World Exhibition. He resigned from the Academy in 1882 in protest against works by Peder Severin Krøyer
and Theodor Philipsen
.
His work was exhibited at the first international art exhibition in Vienna
, Austria in 1882. Kyhn was selected as member of the Academy’s plenary assembly in 1887.
During this period, between 1865 and 1895, he also operated the Painting School for Women ("Tegneskolen for Kvinder"), at a time when women did not have access to the Academy. More than 75 women trained under him, including Anna Ancher
, Johanne Krebs, Emilie Mundt, Marie Luplau, and Emmy Thornam.
. He was influenced by the times, and could show that influence in his paintings, while the national romanticism of his middle years was stll an anchor in his large production of landscapes. He influenced many younger artists.
He is featured in a portrait by P.S. Krøyer
(1898).
Other Danish landscape painters of his generation were Johan Thomas Lundbye and P.C. Skovgaard.
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...
landscape painter
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
who belonged to the generation of national romantic
Romantic nationalism
Romantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...
painters immediately after the Danish Golden Age and before the Modern Breakthrough
Modern Breakthrough
The Modern Breakthrough is the normal name of the strong movement of naturalism and debating literature of Scandinavia near the end of the 19th century which replaced romanticism....
. Even though he outlived many of his artistic peers by several decades, he remained a traditionalist and expressed strong criticism of many of the new trends in the painting of his day.
Kyhn also played a role as an educator, establishing several alternative art schools, including a painting school for women which was attended by 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:...
among others.
Early life and education
Kyhn was born 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 Carl Gottlieb Kyhn and his wife Sara Marie. His father was against his becoming an artist, and he was first put to train in a business office; then as a compromise he was allowed to train with copperplate engraver
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
, Georg Hoffmann. Here he learned to make vignette
Vignette (graphic design)
Vignettes, in graphic design, are decorative designs usually in books, used both to separate sections or chapters and to decorate borders.In Descriptive, or Analytical Bibliography for the hand-press period a vignette refers to an engraved design printed using a copper-plate press, on a page that...
s, a skill which became useful to him later when he learned to make etchings.
He also got the opportunity to begin his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1836. He entered the School of Plaster Model Painting in 1840, and into the School of Model Painting in 1841, where he was influenced by the classicism
Classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for classical antiquity, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. The art of classicism typically seeks to be formal and restrained: of the Discobolus Sir Kenneth Clark observed, "if we object to his restraint...
of teacher Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg was a Danish painter. He was born in Blåkrog in the Duchy of Schleswig , to Henrik Vilhelm Eckersberg, painter and carpenter, and Ingeborg Nielsdatter...
, father of the Golden Age of Danish Painting
Golden Age of Danish Painting
The Danish Golden Age covers the period of creative production in Denmark, especially during the first half of the 19th century. Although Copenhagen had suffered from fires, bombardment and national bankruptcy, the arts took on a new period of creativity catalysed by Romanticism from Germany...
, and J. L. Lund
J. L. Lund
Johan Ludwig Gebhard Lund , , Danish painter, was born in Kiel, Duchy of Holstein, to master painter Hans Giewert Lund and his wife Maria Magdalena Christina Bremer...
. He was also influenced by Niels Lauritz Høyen
Niels Lauritz Høyen
Niels Laurits Andreas Høyen, , Danish is considered to be the first Danish art historian and critic. He promoted a Danish nationalistic art through his writings and lectures, and exerted a far reaching effect on contemporary artists...
, another teacher at the Academy as well as an important art critic and art historian, who encouraged a unique Danish school of art. Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig
Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig
Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig , most often referred to as simply N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher, and politician. He was one of the most influential people in Danish history, as his philosophy gave rise to a new form of nationalism in...
was also a source of inspiration in his turn towards national romanticism.
He won the small silver medallion in 1843 for a figure drawing, but he was set on becoming a landscape painter
Landscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
. At about this time Danish landscapes started to become a serious domain for Danish artists. Kyhn became part of the movement and was able to exhibit his first landscape, "Et bornholmsk Strandparti" ("A View of the Beach on Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
"), an area he had visited over a period of several years. This painting was purchased by the Danish Royal Painting Collection, now the tatens Museum for Kunst|Danish National Gallery, and later loaned to RoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum|Aarhus Art Museum}}.
In 1845, Kyhn won a prize in the Neuhausen Competition (Neuhausenske Konkurs) for "Landskab, hvori Foraaret karakteriseres" ("Spring Landscape").
Student travel abroad
After a few years of diligent work painting landscapes in JutlandJutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
and the north of Zealand, he began to seek out a travel stipend; he was awarded one in 1848. He delayed, however, his travels until the spring of 1850 on account of the turbulent times around the European revolutions of 1848 which led to Denmark’s becoming a constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
on 5 June 1849.
He traveled over 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...
and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in the spring of 1850, and reached 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...
in September of the same year. The following year he received an extension to his stipend. He painted few landscapes of the countries he visited, and only during his travels abroad.
National romantic landscape painting
Back in Denmark in June 1851, he returned to painting direct studies from nature. The paintings which Niels Lauritz HøyenNiels Lauritz Høyen
Niels Laurits Andreas Høyen, , Danish is considered to be the first Danish art historian and critic. He promoted a Danish nationalistic art through his writings and lectures, and exerted a far reaching effect on contemporary artists...
bought from Kyhn show good development in his style. His landscape painting ability continued to improve over the years, as exemplified by the winter scene, "Kystparti ved Taarbæk" ("View of Coast near Taarbæk") and "Udsigt over det flade Land ved Bjærgelide" ("View over the flat land near Bjærgelide") painted in 1858, which featured the typical Danish countryside near Horsens
Horsens
Horsens is a Danish city in east Jutland. It is the site of the council of Horsens municipality. The city's population is 53,807 and the Horsens municipality's population is 82,835 ....
. The flat prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
s of Jutland in this picture were not a popular subject at the time. He helped open the way for other artists to interpret this quintessential Danish landscape.
After 1863, he painted many scenes in the special light of Denmark’s late summer evenings. These include the atmospheric "Efter solnedgang i udkanten af en landsby" ("After Sunset on the Outskirts of a Village") painted in 1863 and "Sildig Sommeraften ved Himmelbjærget" ("Late Summer Evening near Himmelbjerget") painted in 1874. Both of these paintings are in the collection of the National Museum of Art.
He painted many landscapes in the area near Silkeborg
Silkeborg
Silkeborg is a city in central Denmark. Located in Silkeborg municipality in Jutland, the city has a population of 42,724 . The development of Silkeborg as a modern city may be traced to the foundation of the paper mill by Michael Drewsen on the Gudenaa in 1844...
, and spent his summers starting in 1873 at Himmelbjerg
Himmelbjerget
Himmelbjerget is a hill located in Skanderborg Municipality, Denmark. With a height of 147 meters it is one of the highest points of elevation, and commonly celebrated as the highest point, in Denmark, which it was believed to be until 1847...
, one of Denmark’s highest points. It was likely in this area that Kyhn began to experiment with painting in the open air
En plein air
En plein air is a French expression which means "in the open air", and is particularly used to describe the act of painting outdoors.Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-19th century working in natural light became particularly important to the Barbizon school and Impressionism...
, instead of painting in the studio as he had done previously and was customary.
Graphic work
He was one of the driving forces behind the establishment of The Danish Etchers Union (Den danske Radeerforening) in 1853. He married Pauline Petrine Leisner on September 11 of that same year.Opposition to internationalism and conflicts at the Academy
He taught at both the School of Drawing and the School of Painting from the 1850s. He became a member of the Art Academy in 1870. He was a member of the Exhibition Committee at CharlottenborgCharlottenborg Palace
Charlottenborg Palace is a large town mansion located on the corner of Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally built as a residence for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, it has served as the base of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts since its foundation in 1754...
1873-1888, and of the Exhibition Committee for the World Exhibition in Paris 1877-1878. He traveled to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in 1866 and 1874, to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1873 and 1874, to 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...
in 1877.
As a nationalist artist, the "blond artists" as they were called, he was excluded from membership in the Academy, and could not sell his paintings to the influential Kunstforeningen
Kunstforeningen
Kunstforeningen , now officially called Gammel Strand after its address, is an exhibition space and non-profit membership organization located at Gammel Strand in Copenhagen, Denmark...
at Gammel Strand
Gammel Strand
Gammel Strand is a street and public square in central Copenhagen, Denmark. On the south side it borders on the Slotsholmens Canal while the north side is lined by a row of brightly coloured houses from the 18th and 19th century...
.
In reaction and opposition to the growing internationalism affecting young Danish artists who were choosing to travel to France as part of their education, and to the effect of this French training on Danish art, Kyhn sent a work to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1876. The work was a defense of Danish national art and the Eckersberg school of painting. He traveled to Paris in 1878 where his work was exhibited at the World Exhibition. He resigned from the Academy in 1882 in protest against works by Peder Severin Krøyer
Peder Severin Krøyer
Peder Severin Krøyer , known as P.S. Krøyer, was a Norwegian-Danish painter. He is one of the best known and beloved, and undeniably the most colorful of the Skagen Painters, a community of Danish and Nordic artists who lived, gathered or worked in Skagen, Denmark, especially during the final...
and Theodor Philipsen
Theodor Philipsen
Theodor Philipsen was a Danish painter.Philipsen has been considered an innovator of 19th century Danish art. He took Danish art into a new level of impressionism and naturalism. He was influenced by French art, this influence beginning in his first time in Paris from 1874–1876...
.
His work was exhibited at the first international art exhibition in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria in 1882. Kyhn was selected as member of the Academy’s plenary assembly in 1887.
Alternative painting schools
During the period 1871-1879, Kyhn’s studio became a gathering place for a group of young, dissatisfied artists and Academy students called the "Huleakademiet" ("The Den Academy"), which eventually led to the formation in 1882 of The Artists' Independent Studio Schools ("Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler").During this period, between 1865 and 1895, he also operated the Painting School for Women ("Tegneskolen for Kvinder"), at a time when women did not have access to the Academy. More than 75 women trained under him, including 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:...
, Johanne Krebs, Emilie Mundt, Marie Luplau, and Emmy Thornam.
Private life
His son Svend Carl, born in 1862, was a promising landscape and interiors painter bit died in 1890. His wife died in 1894. He received the bronze medallion at the Paris Exhibition of 1900. He died in Frederiksberg on 11 May 1903 at the age of 84.The fruits of a long life
Kyhn maintained a freshness of perspective. He portrayed a more naturalistic landscape than previously, one that was anchored in careful study and with an immediacy made possible through open-air painting. He chose to feature and glorify the landscapes of his native land, exploring especially the countryside near his home in JutlandJutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. He was influenced by the times, and could show that influence in his paintings, while the national romanticism of his middle years was stll an anchor in his large production of landscapes. He influenced many younger artists.
He is featured in a portrait by P.S. Krøyer
Peder Severin Krøyer
Peder Severin Krøyer , known as P.S. Krøyer, was a Norwegian-Danish painter. He is one of the best known and beloved, and undeniably the most colorful of the Skagen Painters, a community of Danish and Nordic artists who lived, gathered or worked in Skagen, Denmark, especially during the final...
(1898).
Other Danish landscape painters of his generation were Johan Thomas Lundbye and P.C. Skovgaard.