Copenhagen

T H E SIGHTS OF COPENHAGEN.

the Academy of the Fine Arts was founded in Copenhagen. The able painter Abildgaard was, at the close of the century, appointed its president, but the public was indifferent to his too learned illustrations of the least popular of classic authors, which show ed no signs of fresh observation of nature. At the same period Denm ark possessed a clever, at times first-rate, portrait-pain ter in Jens Juel. C. V Eckersberg (1783 —1853) is the founder and the first

teacher of the Da­ nish School, p ro ­ perly so called. From 1810to 1813 he was a pupil of the classical ■French painter, D avid, whose

THORVALDSEN’S GRAVE IN TH E THORVALDSEN MUSEUM

teaching had a great influence on the technical side of his art, — though Eckers­ berg never becam e a classic himself.

His portraits often combine cool, clear, delicate colouring, and solid, careful draw ing, with beauty and style. His landscapes and m arine pictures are all of them small, and som ewhat laboured in execution; bu t they comm and respect by the tho rough study of nature they reveal, and they charm by the delight in nature pervading them all. It is nature in its every-day dress which Eckersberg depicts; he does not seek subjects thrilling with impressive sentim ent; bu t whilst he saw only prose where others saw poetry, he discovered poetry where others only saw prose. His pupils followed in his steps. He understood h ow to com ­ municate to them his .interest in and love of m odest and simple subjects. Christen Kobke (1810—1848), besides characteristic

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