Hermania Sigvardine Neergaard (1799–1875) was a Danish flower and still-life painter. A student of Frederik Christian Camradt (1762–1844), she exhibited her paintings in Charlottenborg where several were bought by the royal family.

Biography

Born on 12 August 1799 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 ...

, Hermania Sigvardine Neergaard was the daughter of the merchant Hans Peter Neergaard (c.1774–1810) and Sophie Kristine Læssøe (1777–1867). She learnt to paint at F.C. Camradt's drawing and painting school. From 1821 and for the rest of her life, Neergaard was a frequent exhibitor 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 ...

s. Her first submission was a vase of flowers, copied from one of Camradt's works. It was in

gouache Gouache (; ), body color, or opaque watercolor is a water-medium paint consisting of natural pigment, water, a binding agent (usually gum arabic or dextrin), and sometimes additional inert material. Gouache is designed to be opaque. Gouach ...

, a technique used by the older flower painters at the time. She subsequently worked with oils, depicting flowers in vases, bowls or baskets. In later life, she included wild flowers and outdoor plants. Inspired by

Bertel Thorvaldsen Albert Bertel Thorvaldsen (; sometimes given as Thorwaldsen; 19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danes, Danish-Icelanders, Icelandic Sculpture, sculptor and medallist, medalist of international fame, who spent most of his life (1797–183 ...

, in 1831 she began to paint flowers in Etruscan vases. Similar motifs can be seen in the colourful works painted a few years later by her contemporary Johan Laurentz Jensen. Like Thorvaldsen, Neergaard was one of the painters associated with

Nysø Manor Nysø Manor, located near Præstø in the southeast of the Danish island of Sealand, was built in 1673 for Jens Lauridsen, a local functionary. It now houses the Thorvaldsen Collection, a group of works by the Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, ...

near

Præstø Præstø () is a town with a population of 3,880 (1 January 2024) in Vordingborg Municipality in Region Sjælland on the east coast of the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand (''Sjælland''). The islands of Maderne, Storeholm, and Lilleholm are ...

. Thorvaldsen bought one of her paintings to add to his collection. Her works were also purchased by the Danish kings

Christian VIII 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 Fred ...

and Frederick VII. Hermania Neergaard died at

Bagsværd Bagsværd () is a middle-class suburb located approximately 12 km northwest of central Copenhagen, in the Gladsaxe Municipality. Bagsværd houses the headquarters of Danish pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk and biotechnology co ...

on 23 March 1875. She is buried in

Slagelse Slagelse () is a town on Zealand (Denmark), Zealand, Denmark. The town is the seat of Slagelse Municipality, and is the biggest town of the municipality. It is located 15 km east of Korsør, 16 km north-east of Skælskør, 33 km south-east of Ka ...

Gallery

File:Hermania Neergaard - Blomstrende planter - KMS516 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, ''Blomstrende planter'', Danish National Gallery (1845) File:Hermania Neergaard - Udsigt fra Paganis Villa på Capri - 1854.png, '' A view from Paganis Villa on Capri'' (1854) File:Hermania Neergaard - En ananas i urtepotte og druer på et stenbord - KMS307 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, ''En ananas i urtepotte og druer på et stenbord'' File:Hermania Neergaard - Blomsterkurv med frugt ved en træstub - KMS1258 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, ''Blomsterkurv med frugt ved en træstub''

References

External links

Hermania Neergaard
at

Kunstindeks Danmark ''Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon'' (English: ''Weilbach's Biographical Dictionary of Artists'') is a Danish biographical dictionary of artists and architects. The current edition, which is also freely accessible online, contains the biographies of some ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Neergaard, Hermania 1799 births 1875 deaths Painters from Copenhagen 19th-century Danish painters Danish still life painters 19th-century Danish women painters Danish flower artists