Christian August Lorentzen stands as a significant figure in Danish art history, an artist whose life and work spanned a period of profound stylistic transition. Born in Sønderborg, Denmark, on August 10, 1749, and passing away in Copenhagen on May 8, 1828, Lorentzen navigated the currents shifting from the structured ideals of Neoclassicism towards the burgeoning emotionalism and drama of Romanticism. He was not only a prolific painter of historical scenes, portraits, and landscapes but also an influential professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, shaping a generation of artists during a pivotal era for Danish culture.
Early Life and Artistic Formation
Born into the family of a watchmaker in Sønderborg, the precise details of Christian August Lorentzen's earliest artistic training remain somewhat obscure. There is no definitive evidence indicating he received formal instruction in the traditional sense during his youth. However, it is known that he was a frequent presence at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) in Copenhagen. This suggests that even without formal enrollment in his initial years, he absorbed the atmosphere, techniques, and artistic discourse prevalent within Denmark's premier art institution.
His ambition and desire to hone his craft led him abroad between 1779 and 1782. This period of travel was crucial for his development. Lorentzen journeyed through several key European artistic centers, including the Netherlands, Antwerp (then part of the Austrian Netherlands), and Paris. The purpose of this tour was twofold: to study the works of the Old Masters, likely including Dutch masters like Rembrandt, and to immerse himself in contemporary artistic trends, particularly those emanating from Paris. Copying established masterpieces was a standard and essential practice for aspiring artists, allowing them to understand composition, technique, and color firsthand. This European exposure undoubtedly broadened his artistic horizons and refined his technical skills.
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts: A Lifelong Connection
Lorentzen's relationship with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen was deep and enduring. Having frequented it in his earlier years, he later became formally integrated into its structure. His growing reputation and skill led to his appointment as a professor at the Academy. In this capacity, he played a vital role in educating young artists, contributing significantly to the institution's pedagogical mission. The Academy, founded in the mid-18th century under figures like the French sculptor Jacques Saly, was the undisputed center of artistic life and training in Denmark.
His commitment to the Academy culminated in his appointment as its Director in 1809. He succeeded his esteemed colleague, Nicolai Abildgaard, another major figure in Danish Neoclassicism, in this prestigious role. This appointment underscored Lorentzen's standing within the Danish art establishment. During his tenure as professor and director, he also contributed directly to the Academy's collection and prestige by creating numerous paintings, often focusing on historical subjects relevant to Danish identity and culture.
Navigating Artistic Styles: Neoclassicism and Romanticism
Christian August Lorentzen's artistic output is primarily associated with the Neoclassical and Romantic movements. His career coincided with the height of Neoclassicism in Denmark, championed by figures like his colleague Nicolai Abildgaard and the internationally renowned sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (though Thorvaldsen spent much of his career in Rome). Neoclassicism emphasized order, clarity, rationality, drawing inspiration from classical antiquity, and often conveyed moral or historical themes with a certain formal restraint.
Lorentzen demonstrated his command of the Neoclassical style, particularly in portraiture. His depiction of figures often shows clear lines, balanced compositions, and a focus on capturing a likeness with dignity and sobriety. However, his work also increasingly embraced elements of Romanticism, a movement gaining momentum across Europe that prioritized emotion, individualism, the power of nature, and dramatic historical narratives. This duality is characteristic of his position as a transitional figure.
His historical paintings and landscapes, in particular, often lean towards Romantic sensibilities. They feature dramatic lighting, dynamic compositions, and a focus on moments of national significance or the untamed beauty of nature. He skillfully blended the formal training grounded in Neoclassical principles with the emerging desire for greater expressiveness and emotional impact found in Romanticism.
Masterpieces of History and Portraiture
Lorentzen excelled in several genres, leaving behind a legacy of significant works. History painting, considered the most prestigious genre at the time, was an area where he made notable contributions. His most famous work in this vein is undoubtedly Dannebrog faldt fra himmel under slaget i Estland (The Danish Flag Fell from Heaven during the Battle in Estonia), painted in 1809. This large canvas depicts the legendary origin of the Danish flag during the Battle of Lyndanisse (near modern-day Tallinn) in 1219. The painting is a powerful piece of national mythology, rendered with dramatic flair – the celestial descent of the flag amidst the chaos of battle – perfectly capturing the Romantic interest in national origins and divine intervention. This work resides in the Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Denmark) in Copenhagen.
Another historical work reflecting contemporary events is Slaget på Reden (The Battle of Copenhagen Roads), depicting the naval battle of 1801, and related works like Gunboat near Kastellet, Copenhagen (c. 1807), now held by the Royal Academy of Arts in London. These paintings captured the turbulent reality of the Napoleonic Wars, a period of great consequence for Denmark.
In portraiture, Lorentzen also achieved recognition. His portrait of Johan Frederik Struensee is a key work. Struensee, the German physician who rose to become the de facto ruler of Denmark before his dramatic fall and execution, was a figure of immense historical importance and controversy. Lorentzen's portrait, likely executed with Neoclassical clarity, captures this significant figure. Another example is the Portrait of Adam Wawrzyniec Rzewuski, dated 1790 and housed in the Suvorov Museum in Saint Petersburg, demonstrating his activity in portraiture earlier in his career. His work Lars Dyrskjøtt, depicting an old man from Jutland within a historical war context, blends portraiture with genre elements and historical narrative.
Exploring the Landscape: The Norwegian Venture
Lorentzen's artistic interests extended beyond historical subjects and portraits to encompass landscape painting. A significant episode in his career was his journey to Norway in 1792, undertaken with financial support from the Danish government (as Norway was then united with Denmark). The purpose of this trip was specifically to capture the Norwegian landscape, which was perceived as wilder and more dramatic than the familiar Danish countryside.
During this trip, he painted several specific Norwegian locations, including the impressive Tistedalsfossen waterfall, views around Drammen, Eg, and the Bogstad estate near Oslo. These works were significant because they helped introduce the sublime and picturesque qualities of the Norwegian landscape to the Danish art public. Lorentzen, along with contemporaries like Erik Pauelsen who also depicted Norwegian scenes, contributed to the growing Romantic fascination with untamed nature. His Norwegian landscapes likely displayed a more Romantic sensibility, emphasizing the grandeur and perhaps the slightly melancholic beauty of the northern wilderness. He also reportedly painted four landscapes depicting Norwegian colonial settings, further reflecting the political union of the time.
The Greenlandic Imagination
An intriguing work attributed to Lorentzen is Greenland Fisherman with his Son. This painting is noteworthy because, despite depicting a Greenlandic scene, Lorentzen himself never traveled to Greenland. The work is described as combining elements of contemporary European fashion with aspects of Inuit culture. This suggests a composition born from imagination, travelers' accounts, or existing illustrations, rather than direct observation.
Such a work reflects a common Romantic-era interest in 'exotic' cultures and distant lands. The blending of European aesthetics with depictions of indigenous life, even if inaccurate or idealized, highlights the way artists of the period engaged with the wider world, often through a lens shaped by European preconceptions and artistic conventions. It speaks to the era's curiosity about different ways of life, filtered through the prevailing artistic tastes.
A Teacher's Influence: Shaping the Next Generation
As a long-serving professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Christian August Lorentzen exerted considerable influence on the subsequent generation of artists. His teaching methods, while perhaps rooted in the academic traditions of Neoclassicism, also likely incorporated the burgeoning Romantic ideas he explored in his own work. He provided foundational training for many artists who would come to define the Danish Golden Age.
Among his most famous students was the German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. Friedrich studied at the Copenhagen Academy from 1794 to 1798, a period when both Lorentzen and Nicolai Abildgaard were prominent professors. While Friedrich developed his unique and deeply spiritual style of landscape painting, his time in Copenhagen exposed him to the prevailing trends in Danish art and the teachings of figures like Lorentzen. Another German Romantic, Philipp Otto Runge, also spent a brief period studying in Copenhagen around this time.
Within Danish art, Martinus Rørbye is noted as one of Lorentzen's students. Rørbye, who became a central figure of the Danish Golden Age, was reportedly influenced by Lorentzen's approach to color and his meticulous attention to detail. However, Rørbye also studied extensively under Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, who is often considered the primary 'father' of the Golden Age. This illustrates the complex web of influence, where students absorbed lessons from multiple teachers, with Eckersberg's emphasis on realism and direct observation eventually becoming dominant.
Network of Contemporaries
Lorentzen operated within a vibrant artistic milieu in Copenhagen. His closest professional relationship was likely with Nicolai Abildgaard (1743-1809), his colleague at the Academy and predecessor as Director. Both were leading history painters and influential teachers, though their personal styles and perhaps temperaments differed. They shared the task of educating students like Caspar David Friedrich.
He was also contemporary with Jens Juel (1745-1802), the leading Danish portraitist of the late 18th century, whose elegant style dominated before the rise of Eckersberg. Erik Pauelsen (1749-1790), born in the same year as Lorentzen, was another important contemporary, particularly known for his landscape paintings, including scenes from Norway, creating a parallel exploration of Nordic nature.
The generation that followed Lorentzen, led by Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783-1853), built upon the foundations laid by artists like Lorentzen and Abildgaard but forged a new path, emphasizing realism, meticulous observation, and scenes from everyday Danish life, ushering in the full flowering of the Danish Golden Age. Lorentzen's career thus forms a crucial bridge between the era of Abildgaard and Juel and the era of Eckersberg and his pupils like Rørbye, Christen Købke, and Constantin Hansen. Engravers like Johan Frederik Clemens also played a role in disseminating images created by painters of the era.
Legacy and Collections
Christian August Lorentzen's legacy lies in his role as a transitional figure who adeptly navigated the shift from Neoclassicism to Romanticism in Danish art. He contributed significant works to the genres of history painting, portraiture, and landscape, capturing important moments in Danish history and exploring the burgeoning interest in Nordic nature. His long tenure as a professor and director at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ensured his influence extended to the next generation of artists who would define the Danish Golden Age.
His works are preserved in major collections, testifying to his historical importance. The Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen holds key pieces like the iconic Dannebrog painting. The Royal Academy of Arts in London possesses his depiction of the Gunboat near Kastellet. The Suvorov Museum in Saint Petersburg houses his portrait of Adam Wawrzyniec Rzewuski. Other works can likely be found in various Danish museums and private collections.
Christian August Lorentzen remains an important artist for understanding the development of Danish art around the turn of the 19th century. His ability to blend academic tradition with emerging Romantic sensibilities, his dedication to depicting national themes, and his role as an educator solidify his place in the annals of Scandinavian art history.
