The hunter, nature lover, scientist and artist Johannes Larsen is known and loved for his depictions of Denmark’s birds and nature. He is also known simply as “The Bird Painter”. He grew up in a family with an interest in art at his father’s merchant’s house in Kerteminde. In 1898, he married the painter Alhed Warberg. At the beginning of the 20th century, significant changes took place on the Danish art scene, but Johannes Larsen did not succumb to the passing vogues of art. He remained true to his passion: nature and birds.
Johannes Larsen, His Artistic Haven and His Main Works
From 1901–02, the artists Johannes and Alhed Larsen built their marital home at Møllebakken in Kerteminde. The house and garden became an artistic haven. Johannes Larsen also liked to stay in Nymindegab and at Fiilsø in West Jutland, where he depicted the birds, the air thick with rain, the blurred horizon and the cloudy light. One of Larsen’s main works is “Brent geese over rainy waters” (1908), which has been called a milestone in Danish art. For years, Johannes Larsen closely studied the Danish birds in their natural habitat. An oeuvre for which Johannes Larsen is particularly well known and loved is his woodcuts, which, among other things, were used for book illustrations. Some of his first woodcuts were used to illustrate Steen Steensen Blicher’s “Trækfuglerne” (Migratory Birds) 1911–13, a masterpiece in Danish illustration art. Johannes Larsen later worked in a larger format and with a broader technique, as in the large eider journals, 1920–21, or the swans taking off from Filsø, 1927.
He did around 600 drawings for the book “De Danskes Øer” (The Danish Islands)(1921–24). For a publication of the Icelandic sagas (1930) he did approx. 300 illustrations, and for the book “De Jyders Land” (Land of the Jutlanders)(1935), some 250 illustrations. He also travelled widely in Northern Italy (1898), Paris (1905), the US (Boston) 1907, Greenland (1925) and Iceland (1927 and 1930) to name but a few countries. Johannes Larsen depicted the Danish natural resources for the generations to come.
The Fynbo Painters Johannes Larsen, Peter Hansen and Fritz Syberg
Johannes Larsen developed a close, lifelong friendship with Fritz Syberg. Together with Peter Hansen and Fritz Syberg, Larsen formed the core of the group known as the Fynbo Painters (which also included Anna Syberg and Alhed Larsen). They met as students at Kristian Zahrtmann’s school in Copenhagen and made their début together at Den Frie Udstilling (the Free Exhibition) in 1894. Unlike the other artists of their day, the Fynbo Painters were deeply rooted in the Danish nature. The Danish landscape, everyday family life and the work of country folk were their motifs of choice. The idiom was predominantly naturalistic – contrary to the work of the symbolists of that day – and the group was derogatorily dubbed the “peasant painters”. Despite provoking outrage and debate in their day, the group came to play a central role in Danish art history.
Exhibitions with Johannes Larsen
Charlottenborg, the Artists’ Spring Exhibition, 1891–92; Kleis’ Autumn Exhibition, Cph. 1892; Den frie Udstilling 1895 (the Free Exhibition), 1894–98, 1900–14, 1926, 1931, 1934, 1938, 1940–41, 1943–44, 1947, 1951, 1953–54, 1958, and 1962 (memorial exhibition); The Artists’ Study School Exhibition, 1896; Kunstforeningen, 1897, 1904, 1916, 1926, 1935 and 1942; the Paris Exposition 1900 and 1925; The Danish National Exhibition of 1909; Young Danish Art, 1910; Kgl. Kunstgewerbemuseum, Berlin 1910–11; Brown Stone Gallery, New York 1912; Public Art Gallery, Brighton 1912; Malmö 1914; Grønningen 1915–17; Stockholm 1919; Greenland 1925; Zahrtmann and His Students, 1926; Brooklyn Museum, New York 1927; Helsinki 1928; Jeu de Paume, Paris 1928; Forum 1929; Oslo 1931; Amsterdam 1934; Riga 1936; Hungary 1936; Bucharest 1936–37; Beograd 1937; the National Gallery of Denmark 1940–41; Faaborg Museum 1942; The Funen Spring Exhibition, 1941–43, 1956–57, 1959 and 1962 (memorial exhibition); Gothenburg 1943; Charlottenborg, the Artists’ Autumn Exhibition 1946 and 1952; Fyns Stiftsmuseum 1947 and 1957; Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1948; Hirschsprung 1957; Kerteminde 1967; Charlottenborg 1959; Kunstforeningen, Copenhagen 1976; Sophienholm 1978; Nordens Hus, Reykjavík 1979; Glyptoteket 1986; Faaborg Museum 1990; Arken 2005; Faaborg Museum 2017; Sophienholm 2018; Ordrupgaard 2024.
Some of Johannes Larsen’s Nominations, Grants and Awards
1897 – Det Bielske grant for young artists
1900 – Mention Honorable, Paris Exposition
1905 – Den Raben-Levetzauske Fond
1925 – Diplôme d’honneur, Paris Exposition
1941 – The Thorvaldsen Medal
1946 – Den Frie Artists’ Grant
1953– Winkel and Magnussen’s Memorial Grant
1957 – The Blicher Award
1958 – Bogvennerne’s Illustrator’s Award
1978 – The Danish Arts Foundation’s lifelong grantJohannes Larsen was also an honorary member of Danske Bladtegnere (Danish Journal Illustrators), Grafisk Kunstnersamfund (Graphic Artist Society) and the Danish Society for Nature Conservation
Works by Johannes Larsen for Sale at Bruun Rasmussen
At Bruun Rasmussen, we have works for sale that arouse interest and are relevant to buyers and collectors. Here, you can keep an eye on the works by Johannes Larsen that you can bid on right now.
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