Christensen, Godfred (1845-1928)

Godfrey C

Copenhagen, 23-07-1845-Copenhagen, 15-11-1928, painter

Nationality: Danish

Company: Denmark

Education:

Student of landskabsmaleren F.C. Kiærskou; as well as. Technical. Sk., Kbh.; opt.

Kunstakad. KBH. Sept. 1860; left modelsk. Spring 1867.

Travel and stay abroad:

Paris (short term), Switzerland and Lübeck, 1869; Germany, Italy (Rome, Naples, Capri and surroundings) 1873-75; Paris, Switzerland 1876; Paris and the Pyrenees, 1878; later travels to Germany, Switzerland and France (Paris).

Scholarships and honours:

Academy. 1870, 1873-74.

1865, 1871; Neuhausens Per. Sødrings per 1869; eration. of the Academy. 1881; titular Prof. 1888; eration. by the Swedish Academy. 1897; æresmedl. by Artist foren. of 18. Nov.

Exhibitions (inter alia):

Charl. Spring 1862-73, 1875-84, 1886-98, 1900-01, 1903-29; North. Kunstudst., Cph. 1872, 1883, 1888; Artist foren. of 18. Nov., 1882, 1921, 1924, 1926, 1942; Raadhusudst., Cph. 1901; KE 1908-09, 1913; Landsudst., Aarhus 1909; Foren. for the Night. Art 1926; What Forum deleted, Kbh. 1931; Kunstakad.

Jub. device., Charl. borg 1954; Jyll. in da. painting, Charl. borg 1956; Vejle painters from the past to the present, London 1978; DaNm. and Germany, opponents and neighbors, State. Mouse. of Arts 1981; Venue Paris, Atelier Bonnat, Randers Kunstmus. 1983. Abroad: Verdensudst. Paris 1878; 1. Internat.

Art-Ausst., Vienna, 1882; Internat. Kunstausst., Berlin 1891; Const-och industriutst., Sth. 1897; Works by then. Artists, London 1907; The Baltic device., Malmö 1914; Since. NAT. Exhib., Brooklyn Mouse. 1927; Kungl. Academy., Sth.

1935. Solo Exhibitions: Art foren., Cph. 1894, 1902, 1904, 1905; Winkel & Magnussen, Kbh. April 1902.

Biography:

Geoffrey C possessed a painter of talent, which proved already in the earliest youth. It was through his entire life devoted to the study of nature, the landscape. He collected very early the importance of geography in French art, an influence it took him a long time to process. He was trained in the early Danish landscape tradition compositional patterns and color positions (Danish golden age) and therefore always studied nature at close quarters. Studies omsattes for characteristic compositions, as such. as.

Freestanding beech in summer time. Here stands the foreground between the reason and background in clearly marked batches. In the meeting with the Danish national nature frigjordes his painterly skills in a wide range of splendid studies with romantic moods. He worked both with compositions with low horizons and far vision and forest interiors, where the motif surrounds the viewer and closes off the haze, spring in Charlottenlund. Characteristic is also his compositions, in which the trees in the forest stands on a highly inclined Escarpment. In these works are labelled C work with to produce color and lysvirkninger, and the images lose touch of the romantic atmosphere and will be naturalistic recording. It was a trend, as bearbejdedes in the years following his meeting with French painting at the Paris journey 1869, where he presumably has seen works by Delacroix and both of painters in the Fontainebleau school district. Possibly he was not immediately thrilled with these paintings, but they seem to have made a significant impression. C actively traded foreign influences, but slowly. However, there is little doubt that he, as one of the first at home, understood the importance of the French art development.

Paradoxically, it was in Rome and by the work of Rome's environs and meeting with foreign artists, especially the Belgian-French artist Xavier de Monthier and Italian Enrico Nardini, it watched slowly omsattes to practice.

C participation in "Hollow Academy" in William Kyhns's Studio in the 1860s and most intensely in the 1870s will not be overruled. Here gathered a large number of the younger painters who came to represent the link between the romantic and the naturalistic landscape painting in Denmark. In 1878 renewed C acquaintance with French art and was at this time an experienced artist, however, already with the image From Herlufsholm demonstrated how the new trends could be translated into Danish picturesque tradition. C is an example of how long it can take to modify a form language. It requires both insight and an intense work with the picturesque form. His sure instinct for the new trends made him a bridge between the 19th century. and 20. century.