Painter (1818-48)
“The aim I have set myself as a painter is to paint my beloved Denmark with all the simplicity and modesty so characteristic of it…”
J. Th. Lundbye
Lundbye quickly realised that he wanted to portray Danish motifs and in particular the landscape. He did this in paintings and a large number of line drawings, thereby realising some of the ideas of the influential art historian N.L. Høyen on painting national motifs. Almost half of the motifs are from beautiful areas that held a fascination for Lundbye: “… what beauty there is in these fine lines in our hills, which are so exquisitely fashioned like waves that they look as though they have emerged from the sea…”, he wrote in a letter to a friend.
Several of the pictures contain references to the ancient past of Denmark. At that time Lundbye and his contemporaries saw an original quality that the progress of culture had overshadowed.
Lundbye’s choice of motif shows that he was deeply committed to the national cause. This commitment also indirectly led to his early death. He volunteered for service in the Three Year War 1848-50, and was killed by a stray shot before he ever engaged in battle.
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