Julius Paulsen (22 October 1860 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, ...

– 17 February 1940 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 ...

) was a Danish painter. From 1879 to 1882 he studied at 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 he was later a professor. He had strong connections with several of 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 ...

and visited

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 ...

in the early 1900s. Paulsen was influenced by

Rembrandt Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (; ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), mononymously known as Rembrandt was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and Drawing, draughtsman. He is generally considered one of the greatest visual artists in ...

and French salon art. He is remembered above all for his portraits.

Early life and education

Born in

, Paulsen was the son of a shopkeeper. After completing an apprenticeship as a house painter, he attended the

, graduating in 1882. In 1885, he travelled to the Netherlands, France and Belgium together with

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 ...

.Marianne Marcussen, "Julius Paulsen"
''Kunstindekx Danmark & Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon''. Retrieved 29 October 2013.

Career

Paulsen's works bear the influence of

Realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *American Realism *Classical Realism *Liter ...

Symbolism 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 ...

and

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

but he was also inspired by Dutch 17th century art as can be seen in his painting ''Portrætgruppe'' (Portrait Group) from 1902 in

Skagens Museum Skagens Museum is an art museum in Skagen, Denmark, that exhibits an extensive collection of works by members of the colony of Skagen Painters who lived and worked in the area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Important artists include M ...

. Paulsen also associated with several of the

who gathered each summer in the 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 ...

but did not visit

itself until after 1900. He painted several portraits of

Laurits Tuxen Laurits Regner Tuxen (9 December 1853 – 21 November 1927) was a Danish painter and sculptor specialising in figure painting. He was also associated with the Skagen Painters. He was the first head of Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler, an art sc ...

and his family as well as a number of landscapes. His portrait of P.S. Krøyer hangs in the Museum of National History in

Frederiksborg Palace Frederiksborg Castle () is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II and becoming the lar ...

. From 1908 to 1920, Paulsen was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held du ...

Selected paintings

File:Julius Paulsen Adam and Eve.png, ''Adam and Eve'' File:Julius Paulsen - Runddans i Græsted (1909).jpg, ''

Round dance Modern social round dance, or round dancing, is a choreographed and cued ballroom dance that progresses in a circular counter-clockwise pattern around the dance floor. The two major categories of ballroom dances found in round dancing are the s ...

Græsted Græsted is one of the main towns of the Gribskov municipality in the Danish Region Hovedstaden. The town is in northern Sjælland, just south of Gilleleje, and has a population of 3,662 (1 January 2025). The whole of Græsted Parish had 4769 in ...

'' File:Julius Paulsen-Under the Pont des Arts.jpg, ''Under the

Pont des Arts Pont, meaning "bridge" in French, may refer to: Places France * Pont, Côte-d'Or, in the Côte-d'Or ''département'' * Pont-Bellanger, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-d'Ouilly, in the Calvados ''département'' * Pont-Farcy, in the Ca ...

'' File:Julius Paulsen - Working men in front of a house in Paris (1911).jpg, ''Workmen at a Home in Paris'' File:Paulsen Portræt af læsende halvnøgen model.jpg, ''Half-nude Model, Reading''

References

Literature

External links

Biography
at the ''

Dansk biografisk Lexikon ''Dansk Biografisk Leksikon'' (usually abbreviated DBL; title of first edition written ''Dansk biografisk Lexikon'') is a Danish biographical dictionary that has been published in three editions. The first edition, ''Dansk biografisk Lexikon, til ...

''
Examples of Paulsen's work from Nordic Attic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paulsen, Julius 1860 births 1940 deaths People from Odense Skagen Painters Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal 20th-century Danish painters Burials at Holmen Cemetery Art competitors at the 1932 Summer Olympics