Zahrtmann’s portraits

Danish artist Kristian Zahrtmann (1843-1917) is probably best known for his historical paintings – and in particular his many portraits of Christian IV’s daughter, Leonora Christina. Now you have the opportunity to become acquainted with a slightly different side to Zahrtmann’s artistic oeuvre. The works in question are a number of intense and very different portraits, which you can bid on over the summer – the hammers fall on Monday 13 August from 8 pm.

The enfant terrible of the art world

Over the years, Zahrtmann’s works were received with hatred and love in equal measure on the Danish art scene. It was his choice of motifs, colour palette and the models he used that set him apart from his peers, and he shrouded his works in an intense, emotive tinge, which many found provocative. 

However, there is no doubt that Zahrtmann played a pivotal role in the renewal of art in and around 1900. He was one of the most influential teachers of his day at the Artists’ Study School and served as an inspiring mentor to a long list of prominent names in Danish art history – including Fritz Syberg, Johannes Larsen, Edvard Weie, Harald Giersing and Olaf Rude.

His relationship to Leonora Christina

Zahrtmann grew up on the island of Bornholm and, against the will of his parents, he decided to become an artist from a young age. He travelled to Copenhagen to seek his fortune and, in 1864, won a place at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art.

In 1869, he made his debut at Charlottenborg’s Spring Exhibition, but it was not until the year after that he really made his name with a portrait of Leonora Christina imprisoned in the Blue Tower. Her famous memoir “Jammersminde” inspired him to portray her life and how she lived, and she became a recurring character throughout his artistic career. With his portraits of Leonora Christina, he challenged the conventions of historical painting with a highly subjective interpretation of historical events and an oftentimes critical look at the royal personages surrounding his heroine.

Controversial colours of the rainbow

The thing that caused the greatest furore, and which can still seem surprising and strange, was his almost psychedelic colour palette. His motifs were often composed of strong, almost glowing colours, and critique of his use of colour was not always positive. At its worst, the criticism accused him of using “rainbow colours” and interpreted them as an indication of Zahrtmann’s poor eyesight or an eye infection. Nevertheless, it was precisely through his use of colour that he had the greatest impact on the younger generation of artists of his day.

Zahrtmann at auction

The seven works currently up for auction span a period of 41 years and show the breadth of Zahrtmann’s artistic work.

There are portraits from the Italian mountain town of Civita d’Antino, where he spent the summer every year from 1890–1911. From closer to home, there is, among other things, an old woman from Ribe wearing local dress and a male student – a study for one of his most famous works “Studenterne drager ud til Københavns Forsvar” (the students heading out to Copenhagen’s Defence). This was a draft of a mural for the ceremonial hall at Copenhagen University, which was never used. All of the works up for auction share an emotional intensity and the special colours.

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Visit the preview during the summer holiday

Zahrtmann’s paintings are exhibited at the preview at Sundkrogsgade 30 in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn, and you are welcome to pop in and have a look at them.

Happy bidding!