Helga Cathrine Ancher (1883–1964) was a Danish painter. As the daughter of

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna of East Anglia, King (died c.654) * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th c ...

and

Michael Ancher Michael Peter Ancher (9 June 1849 – 19 September 1927) was a Danish Realism (art movement), realist artist, widely known for his paintings of fishermen, the Skagerak and the North Sea, and other scenes from the Danish fishing community in Skag ...

, she was closely associated with the

Skagen Painters The Skagen Painters () were a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered in the village of Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, from the late 1870s until the turn of the century. Skagen was a summer destination whose scenic nature, local mi ...

. Most of her paintings were of her family and friends in

Skagen Skagen () is the northernmost town in Denmark, on the east coast of the Skagen Odde peninsula in the far north of Jutland, part of Frederikshavn Municipality in North Denmark Region, Nordjylland, north of Frederikshavn and northeast of Aalbo ...

and of local landscapes.

Early life and education

Born in

on 19 August 1883, Helga Ancher was the daughter of Anna and Michael Ancher, both of whom are among the most prominent members of the artist colony in the far north of

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

known as the Skagen Painters. After being introduced to art by her parents, she attended Charlotte Sode and Julie Meldahl's art school in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. In 1901, she entered the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () 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 Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

where she studied under

Valdemar Irminger Valdemar Heinrich Nicolas Irminger (29 December 1850 – 10 February 1938) was a Danish painter. Biography Born in Copenhagen, Irminger attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1867 and 1873. He went to Italy on a scholarship from 188 ...

and

Viggo Johansen Viggo Johansen (3 January 1851 – 18 December 1935) was a Danish painter and active member of the group of Skagen Painters who met every summer in the north of Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische H ...

until 1904. She completed her studies in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

(1909–10) at the school run by

Lucien Simon Lucien Joseph Simon (1861 – 1945) was a French painter and teacher born in Paris. Early life and education Simon was born in Paris. After graduating from the Lycée Louis-le-Grand, he studied painting at the studio of Jules Didier, then from ...

and

Émile-René Ménard Émile-René Ménard (15 April 1862 – 13 January 1930) was a French people, French Painting, painter. From early childhood he was immersed in an artistic environment: Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Corot, Jean-François Millet, Millet and the Ba ...

Approach to painting

Helga Ancher's paintings are mainly centered on scenes from Skagen and on her family and friends. Although many of her subjects are the same as those of the

, she unmistakably adopts the style of her generation, making full use of colour to bring out the features of her interiors, garden scenes and flower paintings. In addition to her intimate approach to portraits, she painted a number of landscapes, often reflecting the effects of autumn or twilight. Like her contemporary

Symbolists Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

, she was also interested in literary subjects, especially opera and ballet. Some of her animal works depicting running horses and lions border on

French Romanticism 19th-century French literature concerns the developments in French literature during a dynamic period in French history that saw the rise of Democracy and the fitful end of Monarchy and Empire. The period covered spans the following political re ...

as well as

Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

. Helga Ancher exhibited little, concentrating instead on presenting her parents works and preserving their memory. On her death on 18 March 1964, she bequeathed the family home for use as a museum. Opened in 1967 as the

Michael and Anna Ancher House Anchers Hus is an art museum and gallery situated in the former residence of the painters Michael and Anna Ancher in Skagen, Denmark. Anchers Hus is located on Markvej in Skagen, Denmark. History Michael Ancher (1849–1927) and Anna Ancher (1 ...

, it displays a large collection of their works and complete interior.

Appearance in the works of the Skagen Painters

Helga Ancher was frequently depicted in the works of the Skagen Painters. File:Anna Ancher - Sunlight in the blue room - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Solskin i den blå stue'' (''

Sunlight in the Blue Room ''Sunlight in the Blue Room'' () is an 1891 painting by Anna Ancher, an innovative Danish painter who was a central figure with the Skagen Painters. With its many shades of blue and the sunlight pouring through the window, the painting is one o ...

''), 1891, by Anna Ancher File:Anna Ancher-Interior With The Painter's Daughter Helga Sewing.jpg , ''Interior With The Painter's Daughter Helga Sewing'', 1890, by Anna Ancher File:Hip, Hip, Hurrah! Artists’ Party, Skagen (Peder Severin Krøyer) - Gothenburg Museum of Art - F 62.jpg, ''

Hip, Hip, Hurrah! ''Hip, Hip, Hurrah!'' (Danish: ''Hip, hip, hurra! Kunstnerfest på Skagen,'' ) is an oil-on-canvas painting from 1888 by Danish painter Peder Severin Krøyer. Description The work shows various members of the Skagen Painters: a group of Danish ...

'', P.S. Kroyer, 1888 File:Anna-ancher-with-helga-in-the-garden.jpg, ''Anna Ancher with Helga in the Garden'', Michael Ancher, c.1985 File:Michael peter ancher self portrait.jpg, Michael Ancher: ''Self portrait with Anna and Helga'', 1990

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ancher, Helga 1883 births 1964 deaths Skagen Painters 20th-century Danish painters People from Skagen 20th-century Danish artists 20th-century Danish women painters 19th-century Danish women painters