Painter (1817-1875)
P.C. Skovgaard is especially well known for his portrayals of the Danish countryside and is reckoned as one of the most outstanding landscape painters of the 19th century. Like his friend and fellow artist Lundbye, Skovgaard painted pictures emphasising the characteristically Danish aspects of the landscape. They were both inspired by the art historian N.L. Høyen’s national romanticism and N.F.S. Grundtvig’s Nordic poetry.
Lundbye and Skovgaard accompanied each other on several occasions in their search for motifs in the Danish countryside. The objective of their excursion in the summer of 1843 was Skovgaard’s native area around Vejby. Skovgaard preferred the Danish woods as his motif, while Lundbye turned to the open landscape in his paintings. In following years Skovgaard used several of the many sketches from the stay in Vejby in his most important works. After a visit to Italy in 1854-55, Skovgaard painted one of his best-known works, Bøgeskov i maj (Beech Woods in May), which shows the Danish beech woods in all its grandeur; light green and beautiful like Freja’s hall, rising protectively around the children. Skovgaard’s later paintings became ever more grandiose, partly inspired by the French art of the time.
More About P.C. Skovgaard
Information Centre, Assistens Kirkegaard.Danish Biography
Kunst Indeks Danmark. List of works
Vejle Kunstmuseum. Danish description of paintings
Danish Museums On-line
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