Hans Andersen Brendekilde (1857, Brendekilde — 1942, Uling, Jyllinge) is one of the most famous Danish painters of the late 19th-early 20th century. His realistic style of painting and themes of landscape genre scenes are close and understandable to a wide audience.
Hans was born on the island of Fyn in the family of a forester. He was fond of wood carving since childhood and during his studies at school he got his first lessons of fine arts in the sculptor's workshop in Odense. Then he entered the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen (Det Kongelige Academie for de skjønne Kunster), he graduated it with flying colors. Despite the education of a sculptor, painting had become a major focus in the work of the artist.
Brendekilde was the first artist with a poor background, who showed true life conditions of the native people. The subjects of his early paintings, dedicated to the hard life of the peasants, are full of tragedy. The works of the later period depict the idyllic aspects of life in the village and the beauty of nature. At the turn of the century, bright, light-filled canvases attracted attention many expositions from Paris (1889), Munich (1891), Chicago (1893), London (1907) and so on. Thanks to numerous exhibitions, Hans was considered the most successful Danish artist who could compete at the international art market. In addition to painting, he collaborated with workshops to make ceramics and glass products, which greatly influenced the revival of decorative and applied art in Denmark. Currently Brendekilde paintings are in private collections and in museums around the world.
I bring to your attention a small part of the creative heritage of the artist. I hope that the article would be interesting for all fans of painting.
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