Christen Dalsgaard (October 30, 1824-February 11, 1907), Danish painter, was born on the Krabbesholm estate on the fjord near Skive, and was son of the estate owner, Jens Dalsgaard. He showed early signs of artistic talent, and received training as a craft painter. In spring 1841, Niels Rademacher, a visiting landscape painter, encouraged the young artist and convinced his parents of their son’s talent. October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... 1824 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Lysefjorden in Norway A fjord (IPA or ; sometimes written fiord) is a glacially overdeepened valley, usually narrow and steep-sided, extending below sea level and filled with salt water. ... Skive is a city in the Limfjord region of the county of Viborg in Denmark. ...

Later that year he traveled to Copenhagen and began his art studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) in October 1841. In December 1841 he began private studies with painter Martinus Rørbye. These last until 1847. City nickname: none Location in Denmark Area  - Total  - Water 526 km² xxx km² xx% Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density 502,204 1,116,979 954/km2 [including water] xxx/km2 [land only] Time zone Eastern: UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 55°43 N 12°34 W Copenhagen (Danish: København) is...

In 1843 he began his studies at the Academy’s freehand drawing school, and the following year at the Academy’s plaster school. Home during the summer and holidays he busied himself by filling sketchbooks with studies of the local landscape, costumes and way of life. These formed a lifelong basis for his art. He also began collecting local folk costumes, another lifelong interest.

In 1844 Dalsgaard cames under the influence of Niels Lauritz Høyen, art historian, who held a famous lecture “On the conditions for a Scandinavian national art’s development” ("Om betingelserne for en skandinavisk nationalkunsts udvikling"). Høyen called for artists to search for subject matter in the folk life of their country instead of searching for themes in other lands, such as Italy (which was at that time considered a requirement for an artist’s training). Dalsgaard was a loyal follower of Højen’s artistic ideals, and forewent the customary journey to Italy, choosing rather to concentrate on themes closer to home.

In March 1846 he began at the Academy’s model school under professors Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, J. L. Lund og Martinus Rørbye. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (January 2, 1783_July 22, 1853) was a Danish painter. ...

He had his exhibition debut at Charlottenborg in 1847, and continued showing there every year with few exceptions.

In 1855 he painted his first altarpiece at the church in his hometown of Skive. He goes on to paint a number of other altarpieces in the years to come. An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. ...

He has his big breakthrough in 1856 with the painting "Mormoner på besøg hos en tømrer på landet" ("Mormons visit a country carpenter"). The painting, created only 6 years after the missionary’s arrival in Denmark, is set in the shadowed interior of a provincial cottage. A group of people are gathered around a table, listening to a missionary’s message. Light filters in through a small window and an open door. It is a study of contemporary daily life, carefully depicting the interior and costumes of the people in detail. The painting was donated to the National Museum of Art (Statens Museum for Kunst) in 1871.

He married Hansine Marie Hansen on August 21, 1857. The newlyweds purchased a house in Frederiksberg. Their circle of social acquaintances included Constantin Hansen, Niels Lauritz Høyen, Wilhelm Marstrand, P.C. Skovgaard, Vilhelm Kyhn, Godtfred Rump, Frederik Vermehren og Julius Exner. Carl Christian Constantin Hansen (Constantin Hansen) (November 3, 1804-1880) was one of the painters associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting. He was born in Rome, the son of portrait painter Hans Hansen. ... Vilhelm Nikolaj Marstrand (December 24, 1810-March 25, 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, mechanic and inventor, and Petra Ottilia Smith. ...

He received the Academy’s Neuhausen's prize (Neuhausens præmie) in both 1859 and 1861. He began teaching drawing at Sorø Academy in 1862.

He was selected to become and became a member of the Academy of Art in 1872.

He exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris for the first time in 1878.

He painted his famous painting "I wonder when he will come home" (Mon han dog ikke skulle komme?) in 1879. This painting is typical of his style. The picture features a young woman standing in an open doorway looking off to one side. One foot is on the doorframe, and one foot is on the ground outside. The interior is dark and shadowed. The outside is a sunlit agrarian landscape. The title of the painting refers to her inner dialogue.

In 1890 he finished the first of 21 small Bible pictures, a project which he continued to work on for the next ten years.

He was named a professor at the Academy of Art in 1892, and quit his position at Sorø Academy. He died on February 11, 1907 in Sorø.

In 1914 the artist’s widow contributed a portion of his folk costume collection to the National Museum. She died in Sorø that same year on November 3. The National Museum acquired the remainder of the folk costume collection in 1921.

Christen Dalsgaard, like his contemporaries Julius Exner and Frederik Vermehren, painted primarily genre paintings, national romantic folk scenes rooted in the grasslands of Jutland. He paid great attention to details– folk costumes, manners and habits of the people, architecture and landscape. He was a storyteller. His artistic works, as well as those of his contemporaries helped open the way for more realistic paintings in the late 1800’s. A collection of his work can be found at the Skive Art Museum. Other paintings can be found, among other museums at the National Museum of Art. Genre painting, also called genre scene or petit genre, attempts to depict aspects of everyday life, via portraits of ordinary people engaged in common activities. ... Liberty leading the people, embodying the Romantic view of the French Revolution of 1830; its painter Eugène Delacroix also served as an elected deputy Romantic nationalism (also organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of a... Jutland Peninsula Jutland (Danish: Jylland, German: Jütland) is a peninsula in northern Europe that forms the mainland part of Denmark and a northern part of Germany, dividing the North Sea from the Baltic Sea. ...

Internal links

List of Danish painters This is a list of Danish painters who were born in or whose creative production is associated with Denmark: Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard (1744-1809) Else Alfelt (1910-1974) Marie Triepcke Krøyer Alfvén (1867-1940) Anna Ancher (1859-1935) Michael Peter Ancher (1849-1927) Wilhelm Bendz (1804-1832) Ejler...