Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard (September 11, 1743-June 4, 1809), Danish artist, was born in Copenhagen, the son of Søren Abildgaard, an antiquarian draughtsman of repute, and Anne Margrethe Bastholm. September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... // Events February 14 - Henry Pelham becomes British Prime Minister February 21 - - The premiere in London of George Frideric Handels oratorio, Samson. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Copenhagen (Danish: København) is the capital and largest city of Denmark. ... Søren Abildgaard (1718-1791) Danish naturalist, writer and illustrator. ...

Life

Training as an artist

He received training under a painting master before coming to study at the new Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) in Copenhagen, where he studied under Johan Edward Mandelberg and Johannes Wiedewelt. A painter is a person who paints woodwork, walls, etc. ... The Royal Danish Academy of Art (Danish: Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) has been a parallel to the arts studies found on Danish universities for nearly 250 years. ... Copenhagen (Danish: København) is the capital and largest city of Denmark. ... Johannes Wiedewelt, (July 1, 1731-December 17, 1802), Danish neoclassical sculptor, was born in Copenhagen to royal sculptor to the Danish Court, Just Wiedewelt, and his wife Birgitte Lauridsdatter. ...

He won medallions at the Academy from 1764 to 1767. The large gold medallion from the Academy won in 1767 included a travel stipend, but he would have to wait 5 years in order to receive the money. 1764 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1767 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

He assisted Professor Johan Edward Mandelberg of the Academy as an apprentice ca. 1769, painting decorations for the royal palace at Fredensborg. These paintings are classical, and influenced by French classical artists such as Claude Lorrain and Nicolas Poussin. Mandelberg had studied in Paris under François Boucher. 1769 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Classicism door in Olomouc, The Czech Republic. ... Seaport by Claude Lorrain Claude Lorrain (Lorraine, c1604 - Rome, November 23, 1682) was a French painter considered to be one of the greatest landscape painters. ... Les Bergers d’Arcadie by Nicolas Poussin. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Rinaldo and Armida gained Bouchers admission to the Académie royale François Boucher (1703 in Bordeaux – May 30, 1770) was a French painter, a proponent of Rococo taste, known for his idyllic and voluptuous paintings on classical themes, decorative allegories representing the arts or pastoral occupations, and several...

Student travels

Although artists of that time typically traveled to Paris for further study, he chose to travel to Rome, where he stayed during the years 1772-1777. He took a side trip to Naples in 1776 with Jens Juel. His ambitions lay in the genre of history painting. While in Rome he studied Annibale Carracci's frescoes at the Palazzo Farnese, and the paintings of Rafael, Titian and Michaelangelo. In addition he studied various other artistic disciplines (sculpture, architecture, decoration, wall paintings), and developed his knowledge of mythology, antiquities, anatomy and perspective. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1... 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Location within Italy Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Napule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning New City) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region. ... This article is about the year 1776. ... Self-portrait with wife, 1791. ... A genre is a division of a particular form of art according to criteria particular to that form. ... Categories: Art stubs | Painting ... The Flight into Egypt (1603) Oil on canvas, 122 x 230 cm Galleria Doria-Pamphili, Rome Annibale Carracci (November 3, 1560, in Bologna - July 15, 1609, in Rome) was an Italian painter, etcher and engraver. ... A XIV Century fresco featuring Saint Sebastian Note: Fresco is the NATO reporting name of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17. ... This page is about the artist. ... Titian. ... Michelangelo (full name Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet. ... Ancient Greeks depiction of ideal form of the body is expressed through sculptures such as this one. ... // Scope and intentions According to the very earliest surviving work on the subject, Vitruvius De Architectura, good buildings should have Beauty (Venustas), Firmness (Firmitas) and Utility (Utilitas); architecture can be said to be a balance and coordination among these three elements, with none overpowering the others. ... Interior decoration is the art of decorating a room so it looks good, is easy to use, and functions well with the existing architecture. ... A mural is a painting on a wall, ceiling, or other large permanent surface. ... It has been suggested that Myth be merged into this article or section. ... Antiquity means ancient times, and may be used of any period before the Middle Ages. ... Anatomical drawing of the human muscles from the Encyclopédie. ... Perspective is the choice of a single point of view from which to sense, categorize, measure or codify experience, typically for comparing with another. ...

In the company of Swedish sculptor Johan Tobias Sergel and painter Johann Heinrich Füssli he began to move away from the classicism he learned at the Academy. He developed an appreciation for the literature of Shakespeare, Homer and Ossian, legendary Gaelic poet. He worked with themes from Greek, as well as Norse mythology which placed him at the forefront of Nordic romanticism. Johan Tobias Sergel (September 8, 1740 - February 26, 1814), Swedish sculptor, was born in Stockholm. ... Fuseli talking to Johann Jakob Bodmer, 1778-1781. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Bust of Homer in the British Museum For other uses, see Homer (disambiguation). ... Ossian, alternatively spelled Oisín, son of Fingal (Fionn mac Cumhail), is a poet and warrior of the fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. ... Norse or Scandinavian mythology refers to the pre-Christian religion, beliefs and legends of the Scandinavian people, including those who settled on Iceland, where the written sources for Norse mythology were assembled. ... It has been suggested that Myth be merged into this article or section. ... Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ...

He left Rome in June 1777 with the hope of becoming professor at the Academy in Copenhagen. He stopped for a stay in Paris, and arrived in Denmark in December of the same year. City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Democratici di Sinistra) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000 1... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

An Academic and artistic career

His admission into the Academy went quickly, and he was named professor in 1778. 1778 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ...

He was an Academic painter of the Neoclassical school. During the years 1777-1794 he was very productive as an artist, in addition to his role at the school, where he taught painting, mythology and anatomy. He produced not only monumental works, but also occasionally smaller pieces, such as vignettes and illustrations. He designed old Norse costumes. He illustrated the works of Socrates and Ossian. Additionally he did some sculpting, etching and authoring. He was interested in all manner of mythological, biblical and literary allusion. Academic art was an art movement, and a style of painting that was in fashion in Europe from the 17th to the 19th century. ... Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... 1777 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... A vignette is a small decorative design, or a brief descriptive piece of writing. ... Example Illustration 1. ... Yarkand ladies summer fashions. ... Socrates This article is about the ancient Greek philosopher, for all other uses see: Socrates (disambiguation) Socrates (June 4, ca. ... Ossian, alternatively spelled Oisín, son of Fingal (Fionn mac Cumhail), is a poet and warrior of the fianna in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. ... The holy Jewish scripture: The Torah. ... Open Directory Project: Literature World Literature Electronic Text Archives Magazines and E-zines Online Writing Writers Resources Libraries, Digital Cataloguing, Metadata Distance Learning Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Classicism in Literature The Universal Library, by Carnegie Mellon University Project Gutenberg Online Library Abacci - Project Gutenberg texts matched with Amazon... In rhetoric, an allusion is the implicit referencing of a related object or circumstance, which has occurred or existed in an external context. ...

Among his students were Asmus Jacob Carstens, sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen and painters J. L. Lund and Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, both of which took over his vacated professorship at the Academy after his death. Eckersberg, as professor at the same Academy went on to lay the foundation for the period of art known as the Golden Age of Danish Painting, and is referred to as the "Father of Danish painting." Asmus Jacob Carstens (1754 - 1798) was a German painter born in Schleswig, and in 1776 went to Copenhagen to study. ... Bertel Thorvaldsen, portrait by Karl Begas, c. ... This painting by Lund shows the three Norns of Norse mythology. ... Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (January 2, 1783-July 22, 1853) was a Danish painter. ... The following alphabetical lists includes men and women commonly known as the father or mother of something. ...

Around 1780, as royal historical painter, he was requested by the Danish government to paint large monumental pieces, a history of Denmark, to decorate the entirety of the Knights' Room (Riddersal) at Christiansborg Castle. It was a prestigious and lucrative assignment. The paintings combined not only historical depictions, but also allegorical and mythological elements that glorified and flattered the government. The door pieces depicted in allegory four historical periods in Europe's history. Abilgaard used pictorial allegory like hieroglyphics, to communicate ideas and transmit messages through symbols to a refined public that was initiated into this form of symbology. Abildgaard's professor Johan Edvard Mandelberg supplied the decorations to the room. 1780 was a leap year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Categories: Art stubs | Painting ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal. ... It has been suggested that Myth be merged into this article or section. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... Hieroglyphs are a system of writing used by the Ancient Egyptians, using a combination of logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements. ... Johan Edvard Mandelberg (1730-January 8, 1786), Swedish-born painter living in Denmark, was born on the sea during a voyage between Stockholm and Livland, Sweden. ...

He married Anna Maria Oxholm on March 23, 1781. March 23 is the 82nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (83rd in Leap years). ... 1781 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

He made a failed attempt to be elected to the post of Academy Director in 1787. He was unanimously elected to the post two years later, serving as Director during the period 1789-1791. He had the reputation for being a tyrant, and for taking as many of the academy's monumental assignments as possible to himself. 1787 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

He was also known as a religious freethinker and an advocate of political reform. In spite of his service to (and in his artwork the glorification of) the government, he was hardly a great supporter of the monarchy, and of the state church. He supported the emancipation of the farmers, and participated in the collection of monies for the Freedom Monument (Frihedsstøtten) in 1792. He contributed a design for the monument, as well as for two of the reliefs at its base. He came into conflicts with the authorities often at the end of the 1700s with his published words and satirical drawings. He was excited by the French Revolution, and in 1789-1790 he tried to give place for these revolutionary ideals in the Knights' Room at Christiansborg Castle. The King rejected his design. 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... For other meanings, see Relief (disambiguation) In the art of sculpture, a relief is an artwork where a modelled form projects out of a flat background. ... Events and trends The Bonneville Slide blocks the Columbia River near the site of present-day Cascade Locks, Oregon with a land bridge 200 feet (60 m) high. ... During the French Revolution (1789–1799) democracy and republicanism overthrew the absolute monarchy in France, and the French portion of the Roman Catholic Church was forced to undergo radical restructuring. ... 1789 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

His showdowns with the establishment culminated in 1794 when his allegorical painting "Jupiter weighs the fate of mankind" (Jupiter vejer menneskenes skæbne) was exhibited at the Salon. He was politically isolated, cut out of the public debate by censors, and he never again received any official assignment. 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

The fire at Christiansborg Palace in February 1794, also had a dampening effect on his career when 7 of the 10 monumental paintings he had already delivered to the grandiose project were destroyed. The project was stopped, and so were his earnings. 1794 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

He turned his productive attention, now, to architectural decoration. He headed the decoration of the Levetzau Palace at Amelienborg, then home of the foreign ministry; his young friend Bertel Thorvaldsen headed the sculptural efforts. The Copenhagen Fire of 1795 not only brought him decorative assignments, but also the opportunity to practice as an architect. He worked up plans for the rebuilding of Christiansborg Palace, but the assignment did not go to him. Amalienborg Palace (Danish: Amalienborg Slot) is the home of the Danish royal family, and has been since the fire of Christiansborg in 1794. ... Bertel Thorvaldsen, portrait by Karl Begas, c. ... 1795 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Architect at his drawing board, 1893 An architect, also known as a building designer, is a person involved in the planning, designing and oversight of a buildings construction, whose role is to guide decisions affecting those building aspects that are of aesthetic, cultural or social concern. ...

At the start of the 1800s his interest in painting was restored, when he painted four scenes from Tenet's comedy "Andria". This coincided with his second marriage in 1803 to Juliane Marie Ottesen, which was a very happy situation for the aging Abilgaard. The marriage resulted in two sons and a daughter. He bought a lovely little place in the country for the family, Spurveskjul (Sparrow hideaway). Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ... 1803 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

He was once again selected to serve as the Academy's Director from 1801 until his death in 1809. He is buried in Copenhagen's Assistens Cemetery. 1801 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1809 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Assistens Cemetery (Assistens Kirkegård) is located in a large park in the Nørrebro section of Copenhagen, Denmark. ...

In 1804 he received a commission for a series of painting for the throne room in the new palace, but disagreements between the artist and the crown prince put a halt to this project. He continued however to provide the court with designs for furniture and room decorations. 1804 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

Works

He was a cold theorist, inspired not by nature but by art. His style was classical, though with a romantic trend. He had a remarkable sense of colour. As a technical painter he attained remarkable success, his tone being very harmonious and even, but the effect, to a foreigner's eye, is rarely interesting.

His works are scarcely known out of Denmark, where he won an immense fame in his own generation, and helped lead the way to the period of art known as the Golden Age of Danish Painting.

A portrait of him is painted by Jens Juel, and made into a medallion by his friend Sergel. August Vilhelm Saabye sculpted a statue of him in 1868 based on contemporary portraits. Jens Juel may mean: Jens Juel (1631-1700), Danish diplomat Jens Juel (1745-1802), Danish painter This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 1868 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

See also

• List of Danish painters