Robert Storm Petersen

Many will know Robert Storm Petersen for his drawings and satires, but he could also call himself a writer and an actor. He was the son of a butcher and grew up in a family with much wit and humour. Storm P. never had any formal education. For a short while he attended the Copenhagen Polytechnic, following which he was trained by Valdemar Neiiendam and other illustrators who worked for the magazine ‘Gnisten’. Later, Storm P. contributed with drawings to this magazine himself. Other famous magazines such as ‘Blæksprutten’ and ‘Svikmøllen’ have also featured drawings by this satirical artist on a regular basis.

Early in the 20th century the autodidact artist Storm P. helped introduce the Danes to the new media of the cartoon. Especially in the period from 1913 to 1923 he had much success with his cartoons which were partly inspired by the American ‘Katzenjammer Kids’, although Storm P. was a little less anarchist in his style than his German colleague Rudolph Dirks, the creator of the world’s first cartoon.

Until his death in 1949, this all-embracing artist was employed as an illustrator and cartoonist at the newspaper ‘B.T.’ where he delivered the drollery of the day in the form of a comic strip. The first comic character to appear was Peter Vimmelskaft, a tall, thin Copenhagener, and then Peter & Ping made their entrance in the comic strip of the day. Later, these characters were to become Denmark’s first international cartoon success.

The works offered for sale can be examined at the preview in our Harbour Department from November 17th, and the auction will commence November 28th.

Bruun Rasmussen wishes you all an enjoyable and cheerful reading.