Jørgen Roed
Encyclopedia
Jørgen Roed, Danish
portrait
and genre painter associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting
, was born in Ringsted
to Peder Jørgensen Roed and wife, Ellen Hansdatter.
would also become an artist, and student of Jørgen Roed.
Already while in school he had the opportunity to learn to draw and paint under schoolteacher J.J. Fyhn. Although the quality of that education was not particularly impressive, Roed’s enthusiasm was enough to inspire his parents to send him to Copenhagen in 1822 after his confirmation to train at the Royal Danish Academy of Art
(Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi).
, where he studied privately, and began to paint. The most lasting result of his education under Hansen was the friendship Roed developed with Constantine, the teacher’s son. Roed’s training under Hansen was limited to making copies of other artworks, such as his first exhibited painting in 1824, an angel’s head painted after another copy based on a work by Raphael
. It was first in 1826 that he exhibited an independent piece, a portrait of his first art teacher.
He had also started his training at the Academy at the same time, first in the free hand drawing school in 1822, and then in 1825 in the School of Plaster Cast Painting. He exhibited at Charlottenborg’s spring exhibition for the first time in 1824, and continued showing there regularly throughout his life.
Hansen died in 1828, and both Roed and the younger Hansen came into training under Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
, father of the "Golden Age of Danish Painting". Roed and Hansen were friends, and socialized much. Hansen was often a guest in the Roed’s home, and they traveled together in Denmark painting side-by-side.
His academic years went slowly but evenly; he was a solid student, and a solid painter. Eckersberg had a strong influence on his artistic development. Roed became a lifelong and loyal admirer of Eckersberg, and his principles of exact and careful observations of nature.
He developed his own style within genre painting, and became proficient in portrait
painting. He first won the Academy’s little silver medallion along with a cash prize in 1831, and then the large silver medallion in 1833. He did not compete for the gold medallion.
He traveled to Norway in 1831.
He showed early his talent as an architecture painter, and twice won competitions in this discipline at the Art Union (Kunstforening). He won the competition, themed “A public place or building”, in 1836 with his painting was "Parti af Frederiksborg. Karusselporten" ("View of Frederiksborg Castle, The Karrusel Gate"). Niels Lauritz Høyen
, who selected the theme of the competition, was a critic, art historian, leader of the Art Union and teacher at the Academy at the time. In this way he was able to infect many young artists with his interest in nationalism, and to influence their artistic development. The painting is now in the collection of the Horsens
Art Museum.
He painted a number of architectural paintings during the mid 1830’s including a pair featuring Roskilde
Cathedral. His painting "En gade i Roskilde. I baggrunden domkirken" ("A Street in Roskilde, in the Background the Cathedral") painted in 1835-36 is in the collection of the National Art Museum (‘’Statens Museum for Kunst’’). He features the cathedral in an atmospheric streetscape, which combines his architectural perspective with a sense of its surroundings and the people that live there.
and Louis Gurlitt, fellow students who would be prioritised higher than him for these limited funds. He, therefore, first received a two-year travel stipend in 1837, which was later renewed for a second two-year term. This allowed him to live in Italy
1837-1841.
Before leaving on his travels he became engaged to Emilie Mathilde Kruse, who waited for his return to marry.
He traveled first to Düsseldorf
, and then to Italy where he stayed primarily in Rome
. He also traveled to Naples
in the company of Constantin Hansen and Wilhelm Marstrand. During his Italian stay he strengthened his skills painting landscapes and especially architecture. He made several paintings that come close to being architecture paintings, as well as several altarpieces for country churches. He also painted a copy based on a large painting by Raphael. A major work from this period was "Fængselsgården i Palazzo del Bargello" ("Prison Yard at the Palazzo del Bargello"), where Roed combined his fine sense of architecture with a lively group of local people into a scene fit for a genre painting.
He married his fiancée on 22 May 1842. They had two children, son Holger Roed
, who would become an artist like his father, and daughter Helena (Helena Nyblom, née Roed
), Swedish-Danish writer who would marry Carl Rupert Nyblom, art historian and member of the Swedish Academy
. The couple gathered about them a circle of artists and artists’ friends, including the younger Julius Lange, upon whom Roed has a great influence.
In the summer of 1843 he was invited to become a member of the Academy based on a portrait he made of J.C. Drewsen. He submitted a portrait of sculptor H.V. Bissen for his admission piece, and was accepted into the Academy as a portraitist in 1844. These monumentally conceived painting set the standard for his many solidly produced portraits in the years to come.
He traveled to Dresden in September 1850, and again in April-November 1851.
He traveled from November 1861-March 1862, travelling to London
for the World’s Exhibition where his work was on display, and then to Paris, Florence and Rome. After his return to Denmark he was named professor at the Academy’s School of Model Painting in 1862. He traveled again to Italy between August and November, 1871 (Pompeii, Capri, Rome), to Berlin July-August 1873 and to Paris August-September 1878 for the World Exhibition.
He continued teaching at the Academy until October 1887, when he took his resignation and received the title of State Councillor (etatsråd).
He died August 8, 1888 at the age of 80 in Copenhagen. He was survived by his wife and daughter.
.
In his later years he sculpted a portrait of his wife in marble.
His training and career began against the backdrop of an exciting time in Danish history, the transition between the authoritative monarchy and the establishment and development of democracy-- the period of the Golden Age of Danish Painting as promoted by Eckersberg, and the strong sense of patriotism and nationalism exemplified by Høyen’s theories. In Roed’s later years there would be great changes in artistic sensibilities. Roed’s artistic abilities continued to be solid throughout his lifetime, although the Golden Age ideals he represented were long gone, and replaced by new creative impulses.
His academic efforts can not be underestimated as many young artists were trained under his solid and inspiring leadership during his 25 years as professor.
His paintings are in the collection of many Danish museums including the National Art Museum (‘’Statens Museum for Kunst’’), the Hirschsprung Collection
, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
, Ordrupgaard, and local art museums in Aarhus
, Horsens
, Ribe
and Randers
.
His portraits document many important people of his times including poet Adam Oehlenschläger, bishop and poet Thomas Kingo and artists E.W. Norman, Albert Küchler, Jørgen Sonne, P.C. Skovgaard, and Wilhelm Marstrand. He painted selfportraits in 1829, 1866, and 1883.
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...
portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
and genre painter associated with 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...
, was born in Ringsted
Ringsted
Ringsted, a city in Ringsted municipality, is in the middle of the Danish island of Zealand. The municipal population is about 31,000 and the city population is 21,151 .Ringsted is approximately 60 km from Copenhagen.-Modern hotspot:...
to Peder Jørgensen Roed and wife, Ellen Hansdatter.
Growing up
His father, a German immigrant, was a member of the town council, owned a farm where they raised animals and ran a distillery. He was one of five children. They were neighbors to the Vermehren family whose son, Frederik VermehrenFrederik Vermehren
Johan Frederik Nikolai Vermehren, also known as Frederik Vermehren, , Danish realistic genre and portrait painter, was born in Ringsted to glazier Peter Frederik Nikolai Vermehren and his wife Sofie Amalie. His artistic career took place during the period of Danish art between the Golden Age of...
would also become an artist, and student of Jørgen Roed.
Already while in school he had the opportunity to learn to draw and paint under schoolteacher J.J. Fyhn. Although the quality of that education was not particularly impressive, Roed’s enthusiasm was enough to inspire his parents to send him to Copenhagen in 1822 after his confirmation to train 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...
(Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi).
Training at the Academy
He was recommended to train under portraitist Hans Hansen, father of Constantin HansenConstantin Hansen
Carl Christian Constantin Hansen was one of the painters associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting. He was deeply interested in literature and mythology, and inspired by art historian Niels Lauritz Høyen, he tried to recreate a national historical painting based on Norse mythology...
, where he studied privately, and began to paint. The most lasting result of his education under Hansen was the friendship Roed developed with Constantine, the teacher’s son. Roed’s training under Hansen was limited to making copies of other artworks, such as his first exhibited painting in 1824, an angel’s head painted after another copy based on a work by Raphael
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino , better known simply as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition and for its visual achievement of the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur...
. It was first in 1826 that he exhibited an independent piece, a portrait of his first art teacher.
He had also started his training at the Academy at the same time, first in the free hand drawing school in 1822, and then in 1825 in the School of Plaster Cast Painting. He exhibited at Charlottenborg’s spring exhibition for the first time in 1824, and continued showing there regularly throughout his life.
Hansen died in 1828, and both Roed and the younger Hansen came into training under 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". Roed and Hansen were friends, and socialized much. Hansen was often a guest in the Roed’s home, and they traveled together in Denmark painting side-by-side.
His academic years went slowly but evenly; he was a solid student, and a solid painter. Eckersberg had a strong influence on his artistic development. Roed became a lifelong and loyal admirer of Eckersberg, and his principles of exact and careful observations of nature.
He developed his own style within genre painting, and became proficient in portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
painting. He first won the Academy’s little silver medallion along with a cash prize in 1831, and then the large silver medallion in 1833. He did not compete for the gold medallion.
He traveled to Norway in 1831.
He showed early his talent as an architecture painter, and twice won competitions in this discipline at the Art Union (Kunstforening). He won the competition, themed “A public place or building”, in 1836 with his painting was "Parti af Frederiksborg. Karusselporten" ("View of Frederiksborg Castle, The Karrusel Gate"). 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...
, who selected the theme of the competition, was a critic, art historian, leader of the Art Union and teacher at the Academy at the time. In this way he was able to infect many young artists with his interest in nationalism, and to influence their artistic development. The painting is now in the collection of the 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 ....
Art Museum.
He painted a number of architectural paintings during the mid 1830’s including a pair featuring 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....
Cathedral. His painting "En gade i Roskilde. I baggrunden domkirken" ("A Street in Roskilde, in the Background the Cathedral") painted in 1835-36 is in the collection of the National Art Museum (‘’Statens Museum for Kunst’’). He features the cathedral in an atmospheric streetscape, which combines his architectural perspective with a sense of its surroundings and the people that live there.
Foreign study
Starting in 1835 he began seeking a travel stipend from the Academy, but he had stiff competition from both Wilhelm MarstrandWilhelm Marstrand
Nicolai Wilhelm Nikolaj Marstrand , painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith...
and Louis Gurlitt, fellow students who would be prioritised higher than him for these limited funds. He, therefore, first received a two-year travel stipend in 1837, which was later renewed for a second two-year term. This allowed him to live in 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...
1837-1841.
Before leaving on his travels he became engaged to Emilie Mathilde Kruse, who waited for his return to marry.
He traveled first to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, and then to Italy where he stayed primarily in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. He also traveled to Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
in the company of Constantin Hansen and Wilhelm Marstrand. During his Italian stay he strengthened his skills painting landscapes and especially architecture. He made several paintings that come close to being architecture paintings, as well as several altarpieces for country churches. He also painted a copy based on a large painting by Raphael. A major work from this period was "Fængselsgården i Palazzo del Bargello" ("Prison Yard at the Palazzo del Bargello"), where Roed combined his fine sense of architecture with a lively group of local people into a scene fit for a genre painting.
Artistic and academic career in Denmark
He returned to Denmark in 1842, where these paintings were well received. Roed concentrated his efforts on establishing a career at the Academy.He married his fiancée on 22 May 1842. They had two children, son Holger Roed
Holger Roed
Holger Peter Roed, known as Holger Roed , Danish painter, was born in Copenhagen to painter Jørgen Roed and wife Emilie Mathilde...
, who would become an artist like his father, and daughter Helena (Helena Nyblom, née Roed
Helena Nyblom
Helena Nyblom was a Swedish children's story author. She is perhaps most remembered for The Swan Suit.-Biography:...
), Swedish-Danish writer who would marry Carl Rupert Nyblom, art historian and member of the Swedish Academy
Swedish Academy
The Swedish Academy , founded in 1786 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies of Sweden.-History:The Swedish Academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustav III. Modelled after the Académie française, it has 18 members. The motto of the Academy is "Talent and Taste"...
. The couple gathered about them a circle of artists and artists’ friends, including the younger Julius Lange, upon whom Roed has a great influence.
In the summer of 1843 he was invited to become a member of the Academy based on a portrait he made of J.C. Drewsen. He submitted a portrait of sculptor H.V. Bissen for his admission piece, and was accepted into the Academy as a portraitist in 1844. These monumentally conceived painting set the standard for his many solidly produced portraits in the years to come.
He traveled to Dresden in September 1850, and again in April-November 1851.
He traveled from November 1861-March 1862, travelling to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for the World’s Exhibition where his work was on display, and then to Paris, Florence and Rome. After his return to Denmark he was named professor at the Academy’s School of Model Painting in 1862. He traveled again to Italy between August and November, 1871 (Pompeii, Capri, Rome), to Berlin July-August 1873 and to Paris August-September 1878 for the World Exhibition.
He continued teaching at the Academy until October 1887, when he took his resignation and received the title of State Councillor (etatsråd).
He died August 8, 1888 at the age of 80 in Copenhagen. He was survived by his wife and daughter.
Works
In addition to many portraits he painted a number of altarpieces and religious paintings, including "Jesu Korsfæstelse" ("Crucifixion of Jesus") in 1866 for the restored church at Frederiksborg PalaceFrederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg castle is a castle in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV, and is now known as The Museum of National History. The current building replaced a previous castle erected by Frederick II, and is the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia...
.
In his later years he sculpted a portrait of his wife in marble.
His training and career began against the backdrop of an exciting time in Danish history, the transition between the authoritative monarchy and the establishment and development of democracy-- the period of the Golden Age of Danish Painting as promoted by Eckersberg, and the strong sense of patriotism and nationalism exemplified by Høyen’s theories. In Roed’s later years there would be great changes in artistic sensibilities. Roed’s artistic abilities continued to be solid throughout his lifetime, although the Golden Age ideals he represented were long gone, and replaced by new creative impulses.
His academic efforts can not be underestimated as many young artists were trained under his solid and inspiring leadership during his 25 years as professor.
His paintings are in the collection of many Danish museums including the National Art Museum (‘’Statens Museum for Kunst’’), the Hirschsprung Collection
Heinrich Hirschsprung
Heinrich Hirschsprung was a Danish tobacco manufacturer, arts patron and art collector, founder of the Hirschsprung Collection in Copenhagen, a museum dedicated to Danish art from the 19th and early 20th century....
, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark...
, Ordrupgaard, and local art museums in Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
, 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 ....
, Ribe
Ribe
Ribe , the oldest extant Danish town, is in southwest Jutland and has a population of 8,192 . Until 1 January 2007, it was the seat of both the surrounding municipality, and county...
and Randers
Randers
Randers is a city in Randers municipality on the Jutland peninsula in central Denmark. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 60,656 . Randers city is the main town of the municipality and the site of its municipal council.-Overview:Randers municipality has 94,750 inhabitants...
.
His portraits document many important people of his times including poet Adam Oehlenschläger, bishop and poet Thomas Kingo and artists E.W. Norman, Albert Küchler, Jørgen Sonne, P.C. Skovgaard, and Wilhelm Marstrand. He painted selfportraits in 1829, 1866, and 1883.
See also
- List of Danish painters
- Art of DenmarkArt of DenmarkDanish art goes back thousands of years with significant artifacts from the 2nd millennium BC, such as the Trundholm sun chariot. Art from modern Denmark forms part of the art of the Nordic Bronze Age, and then Norse and Viking art...