Christen Schiellerup Købke

Painter (1810-48)

Christen Købke was almost forgotten after his early death, but today he is considered one of the most outstanding landcape artists and portraitists from the period 1800-1850. He found landscape motifs close to his home near the Copenhagen Citadel and on Blegdammen. He later introduced Frederiksborg Castle into his limited circle of motifs. His portraits were usually of friends and relatives.

Købke was a pupil of C.W. Eckersberg, from whom he derived his interest in nature. Later, he distanced himself from Eckersberg’s sober attitude and became more romantic in expression. In 1838-40 he went to Berlin and Dresden and then on to Italy. His paintings from Capri betoken an artistic liberation, but this visit did not add many new features to Købke’s artistic development after his return to Denmark.

Købke’s well-composed and harmonious paintings are today internationally recognised especially for their colouristic qualities and their poetic portrayal of everyday life.

More About Christen Købke

• Metropolitan Museum, New York. Painting of Christen Købke’s brother Valdemar Hjartvar Købke
• Kunst Indeks Danmark. List of works by Købke in Danish museums and public collections
• The Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Biography
• The Information Centre, Assistens Kirkegaard. Danish biography
• J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Biography and description of pictures
• Danish Museums On-Line, Købke´s works