''Men of Industry'' ( Danish: Industriens Mænd) is a 1893–1904 oil on canvas group portrait painting by Peder Severin Krøyer (1851–1909) featuring 53 leading representatives of the technical sciences in
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 known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
during the second half of the 19th century, seen at a fictional gathering at Østerbro Power Station 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 ...
. The painting was commission by
Gustav Adolph Hagemann
Gustav Adolph Hagemann (16 May 1842 – 26 April 1916) was a Danish engineer and businessman. He was chief technical officer of the De Danske Sukkerfabrikker, Danish Sugar Factories from 1872 to 1897 and then served as chairman of the board until ...
and is now on display in the Museum of National History at
Frederiksborg Castle
Frederiksborg Castle () is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for Christian IV of Denmark, King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II ...
,
Hillerød
Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 36,604 (1 January 2025)Peder Severin Krøyers portrait of him. Hagemann presented the idea of four monumental group portrait paintings for the newly refurbished Great Hall in
Børsen
( Danish for "the bourse" or "the stock exchange"), is a 17th-century commodity bourse and later stock exchange in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The historic building is situated next to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parli ...
featuring leading representatives of the trade, industry agriculture and shipping sectors in Denmark.
Only the first of the four paintings, ''
From Copenhagen Stock Exchange
''From Copenhagen Stock Exchange'' () is a monumental 1895 oil on canvas group portrait painting by Peder Severin Krøyer, featuring 50 representatives of the Danish commercial and financial industries gathered in the Great Hall of Børsen (the Ex ...
'' (1895), was realized. The idea for ''Men of Industry'' was revived in 1902 but now as a private commission by Hagemann, paid for out of his own pocket, for his home in
Bredgade
Bredgade (literal translation, lit. "Broad Street") is one of the most prominent streets in Copenhagen, Denmark. Running in a straight line from Kongens Nytorv for just under one kilometre to the intersection of Esplanaden, Copenhagen, Esplanaden ...
Burmeister & Wain
Burmeister & Wain was a large established Danish shipyard and leading diesel engine producer headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded by two Danes and an Englishman, its earliest roots stretch back to 1846. Over its 150-year history, it g ...
and had just been appointed as director of the College of Advanced Technology, was at the height of his career.
The price agreed upon for the painting was DKK 10,000. By February 1903, Hagemann had created a list of the people who were to feature in the painting. The choice of people was not representative but rather a reflection of Hagemann's own network. Work on the painting was interrupted when Krøyer fell ill in the summer of 1903. It was completed in December 1904. It was first shown to the public in the spring of 1905.
Hagemann died in 1916. Sometime during the 1930s the painting was placed in G.A. Hagemann's Kollegium on Kristianiagade in Copenhagen. In 1958, it was purchased for DKK 20,000 by the Museum of National History at
Frederiksborg Castle
Frederiksborg Castle () is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for Christian IV of Denmark, King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II ...
.
List of people portrayed in the painting
Other versions
Krøyer created a pen study, two pastels on cartoon and a small oil on canvas study before embarking ion the final painting. The pen study was already lost before the painting had been completed. One of the pastels belong to the Danish Association of Engineers. The other one was in August 1995 sold by Bruun Rasmussen to the utility company NESA. It was after the merger with DONG Energy placed in the Energy Museum in Viborg on loan. The oil study is privately owned.