Tornøe, Wenzel (1844 - 1907)

Lehnshøj by Svendborg, 09-09-1844-Frederiksberg, 05-12-1907, painter

Nationality: Danish

Company: Denmark, 1871-1873, Roma Netherlands 1878-1879, Belgium 1878-1879, Paris 1878-1879, 1878-1879, Roma Italy 1886 – 1887

Education:

Horsens scholars SK.; Kunstakad. KBH. Oct. 1860-July 1865, little sølvmed. March 1864.

Travel and stay abroad:

Rome, 1871-73; Netherlands, Belgium, Paris and Northern Italy, 1878-79; Rome, 1886-87.

Scholarships and honours:

Serdin H's per-1902.

Exhibitions (inter alia):

Charl. Mayor 1865-71, 1873-78, 1880-1907; Artist foren. of 18. Nov., 1882, 1942; Dec device. 1883; North. dog show. 1883, 1888; verdensudst., Chicago 1893; North. Art-Ausst., Lübeck, 1895; Raadhusudst., Cph. 1901.

Biography:

Wenzel Tornøes artistic production from rock'n ' in 1865 to his death reflects what one might be tempted to call the typical Charlottenborg-art of the period. The only one of today's popular genres, he did not show interest in, was the landscape painting. In addition, he had a propensity for it sentimentalt anecdotal as well in the genre pictures as in the religious representations. His pictures from Italy is so characteristic of his backward-looking and audience-friendly style. The best houses, however, both picturesque qualities and shows an extremely skilful hand, both when it comes to image composition as shape-making. Today, his best known image, A seamstress Pentecost morning, painted in at least 2 editions (most recently offered at Sotheby's in London 1981), is also very skillfully done. It produces an everyday situation with social appeal, known from, among other things. Emile Zola's writings and in Denmark Sophus Schandorphs, but is probably most immediately inspired by the painter Christian. Krohg. But like Francis Henningsen's portrayal of a single mother, "forsaken", exhibited 1888, the picture is a model painting, even by a conspicuous gender model; the depiction is not downloaded "from the street", as the true realists did it. The image is not the only one with social motive, but more often than not, however, picturesque paintings, amiable Tornøes or humorous. For example. in recent years he takes a in Germany very popular motif circle up, monks who read, drink beer or will be treated by mischievous girls.