Greetings! What a fabulous meeting yesterday at The Beecroft about The Skagen Painters, artists who are barely known in this country yet renowned in Denmark. As promised, I’ve put together a few resources for further independent research…
One of the best books I’ve found, that offers a broad history of 19th-century Danish Art, is “In Another Light” by Patricia Berman (published by Thames & Hudson, 2013).
Thames & Hudson have also just published (October 20205): “Art of the Nordic Nations: Art of the Nordic Nations: Modernism, Freedom and Identity, 1870–1950” by Serge Fauchereau. I’ve not seen it yet, but the copy for it says that it covers Modern art from the Nordic countries – Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, offering a new history of Nordic art, from the emergence of Impressionism in the 1870s, through the avant-garde experiments of the early decades of the 20th century and onward to the Second World War and beyond so it should be very interesting.
There is also an essay on the Christies website, “Great Danish artists of the 19th century”: https://www.christies.com/en/stories/vilhelm-hammershoi-and-19th-century-danish-art-5474baee72224dccb98dd9f3d828c382
For the history of Skagen directly, it’s best to go online to The Skagen Museum: https://skagensmuseum.dk/en/artists/
Also the Hirschsprung Collection website: https://www.hirschsprung.dk/en/collection/art has some very good short essays on artists and contexts. They also held the exhibition “My World – The Skagen Painter Viggo Johansen” earlier this year, and it is possible to scroll through the catalogue (use the arrow, top right) via Strandberg Publishing: https://strandbergpublishing.dk/boger/hos-mig-skagensmaleren-viggo-johansen/
Then, imminently, the “Anna Ancher: Painting Light” will be opening at The Dulwich Picture Gallery on 4th November, and their website has both images and introductory material: https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/whats-on/anna-ancher-painting-light/ and the Press Pack is here: https://www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk/about-us/press/anna-ancher-painting-light/. There is also an accompanying catalogue (ACC Art Books) from curators Helen Hillyard & Mette Harbo Lehmann,
the copy for which reads:
Ancher was an influential figure of the Scandinavian ‘Modern Breakthrough’ movement that sought to capture real life, demonstrated in her intimate, observational works, which documented everyday experiences in the fishing town of Skagen. Influenced by her travels to Paris, as well as French Impressionism, the artist produced vivid interiors and evocative landscape scenes in which light becomes the central figure. The [catalogue] will demonstrate Ancher’s bold approach to colour and radical interpretation of everyday scenes as a truly pioneering modern painter.
There’s also a review / article in The Times by Chloë Ashby, click here.
We definitely need to organise a coach trip to the exhibition!!!
There is also a film based on the Skagen artists, “Hip Hip Hurra” by Kjell Grede (1987). I haven’t yet found a copy, but there’s a trailer on YouTube here (atmospheric even without understanding the dialogue!)
“Hip, Hip, Hurrah! Artists’ Party, Skagen”
by Peder Severin Krøyer [1888; Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Sweden]
So let’s raise a glass and look forward to exploring The Art, Life & Times of Ilya Repin at our next Art, Books & Culture Research Group meeting at The Beecroft on Saturday 29th November, 11.15am.
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thecommonviewer 