Carl Locher
Encyclopedia
Carl Locher was a Danish realist
painter who from an early age became a member of the Skagen group
of painters.
in the Duchy of Schleswig which was then part of Denmark. From an early age he took an interest in ships and received his first training from his father who painted ship portrait
s for a living. After the father passed away, Carl continued his business for a short while and went on several voyages with ships of the Royal Danish Navy
. Struck by the grandeur of the Atlantic Ocean
, voyage to the Danish West Indies
made a particular impression on him.
Even before he began his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Art
in 1872, he was encouraged by Holger Drachmann
to spend a couple of months in Skagen, the artists colony in the far north of Jutland
. He quickly completed paintings of the beach, some with fishing boats or wrecks. He also became interested in the horse-drawn carriage which travelled along the beach on its journey from Frederikshavn.
In the 1870s, Locher continued his studies in Paris
but he visited Skagen whenever he was back in Denmark. Ultimately he had a house built there where he lived until his death.
Supported by the State, he opened an etching school for Danish artists in Copenhagen
where he taught until 1900. Skagen painters such as Anna Ancher
and Michael Ancher and P.S. Krøyer attended the school.
Realism (arts)
Realism in the visual arts and literature refers to the general attempt to depict subjects "in accordance with secular, empirical rules", as they are considered to exist in third person objective reality, without embellishment or interpretation...
painter who from an early age became a member of the Skagen group
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...
of painters.
Biography
Carl Locher was born on 21 November 1851 in FlensburgFlensburg
Flensburg is an independent town in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of the region of Southern Schleswig...
in the Duchy of Schleswig which was then part of Denmark. From an early age he took an interest in ships and received his first training from his father who painted ship portrait
Marine art
Marine art or maritime art is any form of figurative art that portrays or draws its main inspiration from the sea. Maritime painting is a genre that depicts ships and the sea—a genre particularly strong from the 17th to 19th centuries...
s for a living. After the father passed away, Carl continued his business for a short while and went on several voyages with ships of the Royal Danish Navy
Royal Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
. Struck by the grandeur of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, voyage to the Danish West Indies
Danish West Indies
The Danish West Indies or "Danish Antilles", were a colony of Denmark-Norway and later Denmark in the Caribbean. They were sold to the United States in 1916 in the Treaty of the Danish West Indies and became the United States Virgin Islands in 1917...
made a particular impression on him.
Even before he began his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Art
Royal Danish Academy of Art
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts has provided a practice-oriented complement to the scholarly investigation of the arts carried out at Danish universities for more than 250 years, playing a crucial part in the development of the distinctive tradition of the art of Denmark.- History :The Royal...
in 1872, he was encouraged by Holger Drachmann
Holger Drachmann
Holger Henrik Herholdt Drachmann , was a Danish poet and dramatist. He is an outstanding figure of the Modern Break-Through....
to spend a couple of months in Skagen, the artists colony in the far north of Jutland
Jutland
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 quickly completed paintings of the beach, some with fishing boats or wrecks. He also became interested in the horse-drawn carriage which travelled along the beach on its journey from Frederikshavn.
In the 1870s, Locher continued his studies in 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...
but he visited Skagen whenever he was back in Denmark. Ultimately he had a house built there where he lived until his death.
Supported by the State, he opened an etching school for Danish artists 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...
where he taught until 1900. Skagen painters such as 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:...
and Michael Ancher and P.S. Krøyer attended the school.