Johan Ludwig Lund
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Johan Ludwig Gebhard Lund (primarily known as J. L. Lund) (16 October 1777 – 3 March 1867) was a
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
painter, born in
Kiel Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021). Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the Jutland ...
, Duchy of
Holstein Holstein (; nds, label=Northern Low Saxon, Holsteen; da, Holsten; Latin and historical en, Holsatia, italic=yes) is the region between the rivers Elbe and Eider. It is the southern half of Schleswig-Holstein, the northernmost state of German ...
, to master painter Hans Giewert Lund and his wife Maria Magdalena Christina Bremer. An adherent of
romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
, he is known for his history paintings.


Training as artist

Lund came to Copenhagen to train as an artist, and in 1797, at the age of 22, he started his studies at the
Royal Danish Academy of Art The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dani ...
(''Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi'') with the support of
Johan Frederik Clemens Johan Frederik Clemens (29 November 1749 – 5 November 1831) was a Pomeranian- Danish printmaker in etching. Early life and education Clemens was born in Gollnow (now Goleniów) near Stettin (now Szczecin) in Pomerania, to a poor Saxon weaver, J ...
, acclaimed royal engraver and influential member of the Academy. He came quickly into contact with the rich and powerful of that time, which had a decided influence on his artistic development. He studied under
neoclassicist Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard (11 September 1743 – 4 June 1809) was a Danish neoclassical and royal history painter, sculptor, architect, and professor of painting, mythology, and anatomy at the New Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen ...
at the Academy from 1797 to 1799, and taught drawing privately during his student years. He received the Academy's small silver medallion in 1798 and the large silver medallion in 1799, but never competed for the gold medallion.


Student travels

Lund was friends with Caspar David Friedrich, another student at the Academy and likeminded fellow-romanticist, and traveled with him to
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
, Germany in 1799 to continue his studies at the Dresden Academy. From there he went on to Paris, where he studied under Jacques-Louis David from 16 September 1800 to April 1802. During this time, he also took excursions to Switzerland and Lake Maggiore (August–October 1801). He went on to Italy in 1802, first to
Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
and then to
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
, where he lived from 1802 to 1810. In Florence he was deeply affected by the religious art prior to
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...
's time. He was part of the expatriate colony of Danish and German artists and scientists in Italy, which included Friederike Brun, Charlotte Humboldt, Georg Zoëga and Bertel Thorvaldsen. Cultured, talented and sociable, he secured himself many important contacts during this time, including those within the Danish royal house. From 1804 to 1807, he received stipends from the Academy, inclusive a travel allowance to support his stay in Italy, between 1804 and 1806. During that time and also years later during a subsequent stay in Rome, he associated himself with the German painters known as the Nazarenes, a group of romantic painters headed by
Johann Friedrich Overbeck Johann Friedrich Overbeck (3 July 1789 – 12 November 1869) was a German painter. As a member of the Nazarene movement, he also made four etchings. Early life and education Born in Lübeck, his ancestors for three generations had been Protes ...
and
Peter Cornelius Carl August Peter Cornelius (24 December 1824 – 26 October 1874) was a German composer, writer about music, poet and translator. Life He was born in Mainz to Carl Joseph Gerhard (1793–1843) and Friederike (1789–1867) Cornelius, actors i ...
. He studied with them the early Italian style of painting, which was then considered primitive. In 1803 and 1804 he painted a large picture, "''Andromache i Afmagt ved Synet af Hectors mishandlede Lig''" ("
Andromache In Greek mythology, Andromache (; grc, Ἀνδρομάχη, ) was the wife of Hector, daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled. The name means 'man battler ...
, Powerless at the Sight of
Hector In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...
’s Maligned Corpse") which was seized by English
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
s in 1807 on its voyage to Denmark. It was during the
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
when England and Denmark were enemies. This painting is now in the Danish Ambassador's residence in Rome. A companion piece painted between 1807 and 1811, "''Pyrrhus og Andromache ved Hectors Grav''" (" Pyrrhus and Andromache at Hector's Grave"), was contributed to the Danish Royal Painting Collection, now the Danish National Gallery (''Statens Museum for Kunst''), by Baron Schubart, General Consul in Livorno. These paintings helped establish himself as an idealistic and romantic painter, in contrast to rival
neoclassicist Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (2 January 1783 – 22 July 1853) was a Danish painter. He was born in Blåkrog in the Southern Jutland region of Denmark. He went on to lay the foundation for the period of art known as the Golden Age of Da ...
's realistic approach to the visual arts. The two artists represented, for many years, opposing viewpoints and cultural ideals in the Danish art scene.


Academic career

In 1809 Lund began attempts to secure the Academy professorship vacated by his former teacher Abildgaard upon his death in 1806. He returned to Denmark in 1810 along with Frederikke Brun in order to more actively pursue the teaching position. He began exhibiting at Charlottenborg in 1812 and exhibited there routinely until 1861. The Academy also invited him to apply for membership in 1812. He submitted the painting "''Habor og Signe''" (
Hagbard and Signy Hagbard and Signe (Signy) (the Viking Age) or Habor and Sign(h)ild (the Middle Ages and later) were a pair of lovers in Scandinavian mythology and folklore whose legend was widely popular. The heroes' connections with other legendary characters pl ...
) for consideration, and he was accepted into the Academy in 1814. While his Nordic-themed painting received praise, it was not displayed in the large painting gallery. While he received the Academy's endorsement to become member, he did not receive their recommendation to become either royal history painter or professor. The Academy, considering not only Lund's bid for the position, but also that of his rival Eckersberg as well as that of Christian Gotlieb Kratzenstein-Stub, wished to postpone a decision until Eckersberg returned home from his student travels. Lund lost his patience with these delays and traveled back to Rome where he lived from 1816 to 1819. He had now decided to establish himself as an altar painter, and as a member of the Nazarenes. In 1818 with support from Prince
Christian Frederik Christian VIII (18 September 1786 – 20 January 1848) was King of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, King of Norway in 1814. Christian Frederick was the eldest son of Hereditary Prince Frederick, a younger son of King Frederic ...
, he was finally named professor at the Academy along with
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (2 January 1783 – 22 July 1853) was a Danish painter. He was born in Blåkrog in the Southern Jutland region of Denmark. He went on to lay the foundation for the period of art known as the Golden Age of Da ...
. Kratzenstein-Stub ceased being under consideration upon his death in 1816. He then returned to Copenhagen accompanied by Bertel Thorvaldsen in 1819, and married Augusta Lorentzen, daughter of the organist, Johan Henrich Lorentzen, and his wife, Frederikke Vilhelmine Lintrup, on 24 December 1820. The hiring of the two counterparts to the School of Model Painting brought new vitality to the Academy. But while Eckersberg's star and realism were on the ascent, and he would come to be remembered as the father of the
Golden Age of Danish Painting The Danish Golden Age ( da, Den danske guldalder) covers a period of exceptional creative production in Denmark, especially during the first half of the 19th century.Kulturnet DanmarkGuide to the Danish Golden Age Although Copenhagen had suffered ...
, Lund's star and romanticism were primarily on the descent. But during his 42 years at the Academy Lund had a strong influence on his many students. He encouraged them to study 17th century Dutch landscape art, which could be readily seen in Copenhagen. His Romantic approach to art was greatly appreciated by a group of young landscape painters who were younger than Eckersberg's pupils; they aimed to produce evocative landscapes in reaction to Eckersberg's precise depictions of nature. This trend culminated in the large-scale landscapes of the Nationalist Romantic style, His closest students include historical painter Ditlev Blunck, and landscape painters
Johan Thomas Lundbye Johan Thomas Lundbye (1 September 1818 – 25 April 1848) was a Danish painter and graphic artist, known for his animal and landscape paintings. He was inspired by Niels Laurits Høyen's call to develop nationalistic art through depictions of D ...
, Dankvart Dreyer, P.C. Skovgaard, and Vilhelm Kyhn. He served as Treasurer of the Academy 1821–1832 and again 1854–1866. He stopped teaching in 1861, and was eventually titled ''etatsråd'' (state advisor or counsellor). He was never named to the highest post at the Academy, Director of the Academy, unlike Eckersberg, his old rival, who served in that capacity from 1827 to 1829. He had a cheerful and positive personality and was fresh and full of life to the age of 89. He died of natural causes without any sign of sickness during his sleep. Lund kept his international orientation throughout his life in contrast to the growing nationalism and regionalism in the arts. He continued to keep his contacts in Germany and Italy.


Works

His main works were historical paintings with historical, mythological and biblical themes, such as the five large paintings at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, which depicted Denmark's various cultural time periods. These include "''Christendommens indførelse i Danmark''" ("Christianity's Introduction in Denmark") painted in 1827, until then the largest oil painting to have been painted in Denmark. Again his assignment was matched by a comparable one given to Eckersberg. in which he painted the Oldenborg royal family line in eight large pictures, presumably to replace those painted by Abildgaard and destroyed in the fire of 1794. The other painting in Lund's series are "''Nordisk offerscene fra den Odinske periode''" ("Nordic Sacrificial Scene from the Period of Odin") painted in 1831, "''Solens tilbedelse''" ("Worship of the Sun") painted in 1834, "''Procession ved Kristi Legemsfest fra den katolske tid i Danmark''" ("Corpus Christi Procession from Denmark's Catholic Period") painted in 1834, and "Luthersk gudstjeneste''" ("Lutheran Church Service") painted in 1843. Lund's and Eckersberg's paintings survived the fire at Christiansborg in 1884. He is also well known for his altarpieces and paintings of religious themes, which were influenced by his admiration for such Renaissance painters as
Fra Angelico Fra Angelico (born Guido di Pietro; February 18, 1455) was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance, described by Vasari in his '' Lives of the Artists'' as having "a rare and perfect talent".Giorgio Vasari, ''Lives of the Artists''. Pengu ...
,
Perugino Pietro Perugino (, ; – 1523), born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance. Raphael was his most famous pupil. Ea ...
and
Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...
. His small landscapes also received favour from art historian, critic and advocate of a national art movement, Niels Lauritz Høyen. He painted few portraits. He designed the main curtain of the Royal Theatre (''Det kongelige teater'') with a view of the Acropolis in 1828, which still hangs to this day. A preliminary sketch of the project is in the Theatre Museum. The Royal Theatre owns other artpieces of his. Early Italian art, his contact with the Nazarenes, fellow countryman and expatriate Bertel Thorvaldsen, and for
romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
's ideals, all left an indelible influence on his artistic production. The Royal Library houses a collection of his letters, inclusive correspondence with younger artists that bears witness to his influence on them. He is portrayed as an old man in a painting by one of his students, Professor August Schiøtt, a prodigious portraitist. This portrait, considered one of his best, led to Schiott's membership in the Academy in 1854. Lund's works appear in various Danish art museums, including the Danish National Gallery (''Statens Museum for Kunst''). His works are also in the collections of several Danish castles, as well as religious works to be found at various Danish churches. He was an educated, cultured and diligent man and artist, with good contacts. He left a lasting impression by his many monumental paintings still widely on display, and by the effect he had on a generation of artists due to his long professorship at the Academy.


References


KID Kunst Index Danmark ("Art Index Denmark")Danish Biographical Encyclopedia ("''Dansk biografisk Leksikion''")


See also

* List of Danish painters {{DEFAULTSORT:Lund, J. L. 1777 births 1867 deaths Danish romantic painters 18th-century Danish painters 18th-century male artists Danish male painters 19th-century Danish painters Pupils of Jacques-Louis David Academic staff of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni 19th-century painters of historical subjects Burials at Holmen Cemetery Romantic painters