Hans Christian Martinus Kundsen (16 August 1865 – 6 January 1947) was a Danish artist. He is remembered principally for his landscape paintings mainly of the area of

North Zealand North Zealand, also North Sealand (), refers to the northeastern part of the Danish island of Zealand. The Danish tourist authorities have recently introduced the term Danish Riviera to cover the area in view of its increasing importance for to ...

which constituted his world of motifs.

Biography

Knudsen was born in

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

, Denmark. He was the son of Martinus Knudsen (1831–88) and Johanne Cathrine Jensine Crone (1828–1904). Hans Knudsen - Forsamlingshuset i Slagslunde - KMS4404

Hans Knudsen - Forsamlingshuset i Slagslunde - KMS4404

He trained as a decoration painter in

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

with

Carl Frederik Aagaard Carl Frederik Peder Aagaard (29 January 1833 – 2 November 1895) was a Danish landscape painter and decorative artist. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and under P. C. Skovgaard. Many of his paintings focused on spots freq ...

(1833-1895) from 1881-84. From 1888-96, he trained to the school operated by

Kristian Zahrtmann Peder Henrik Kristian Zahrtmann, known as Kristian Zahrtmann, (31 March 1843 – 22 June 1917) was a Danish painter. He was a part of the Danish artistic generation in the late 19th century, along with Peder Severin Krøyer and Theodor Philipsen, ...

(1843–1917). He exhibited regularly at the

Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition The Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition (''Charlottenborg Forårsudstilling'') is an annual art exhibition in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. The event is held at the Charlottenborg Exhibition Building (''Kunsthal Charlottenborg''). Kunsthal Cha ...

from 1893–1946. For many years Knudsen lived close to the forest edge of Ganløse Ore in

Egedal Egedal Municipality () is a municipality ( Danish, '' kommune'') in Region Hovedstaden in Denmark. It covers an area of with a total population of 45,563 (1. January 2025). History On 1 January 2007 Egedal municipality was created as the result ...

, right on the border with

Værløse Værløse () is a town in Furesø Municipality in the northwestern outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark. As of 1 January 2025, it has a population of 13,200. Situated on the west side of the Hillerød Motorway, between Farum Lake to the north and Søn ...

in Furesø. He belonged to the group of painters called the Værløsemalerne with art frequently focused on the area of around Ganløse and Værløse. Knudsen was inspired by the picturesque perceptions and lyrical coloristic projections of

Albert Gottschalk Albert Gottschalk (3 July 1866 – 13 February 1906) was a Danish painter. He had a close connection, personally and artistically, to the poets Johannes Jørgensen, Viggo Stuckenberg and Sophus Claussen. Biography Albert Gottschalk was born in ...

(1866–1906) and

Laurits Andersen Ring Laurits Andersen Ring (; 15 August 1854 – 10 September 1933) was one of the foremost Danish painters of the turn of the 20th century, who pioneered both symbolism and social realism in Denmark. Considered one of the masterpieces of Danish cultu ...

(1854–1933). He received the

Eckersberg Medal The Eckersberg Medal (originally the ''Akademiets Aarsmedaille'' or Annual Academy Medal) is an annual award of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It is named after Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, known as the father of Danish painting. The ...

in 1917, the Serdin Hansens Prize in 1919, the Alfred Benzon Prize in 1933, 1942 and the

Thorvaldsen Medal The Thorvaldsen Medal (Danish language, Danish: Thorvaldsens Medalje, Thorvaldsen Medaillen) is awarded annually with few exceptions to a varying number of recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and is its highest distinction within th ...

in 1944. In 1909, he married Sørine Kristine Thomsen (1880-1964). He died during 1947 west of

Ganløse Ganløse is a town located in the Egedal Municipality, in the Capital Region of Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also ...

at Slagslunde.

References

External links

Hans Knudsen's biography from Egedal Historie (in Danish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kundsen, Hans 1865 births 1947 deaths 19th-century Danish painters Danish male painters 20th-century Danish painters Danish landscape painters People from Roskilde People from Egedal Municipality Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal 19th-century Danish male artists 20th-century Danish male artists