The World's Columbian Exposition 1893. Chicago, U.S.A. 1893
Official Catalogue With Illustrations issued by the Royal Danish Commission

INTRODUCTORY NOTES The creator of painting in Denmark is Christoffer Vilhelm Eckersberg, b. 1783 at Slesvig, d. 1833 in Copenhagen. Long before him, no doubt, the art of painting existed in Denmark, but it was an art without any national character. We can date its traces tip to antiquity. In our churches of the Middle Ages we often discover, beneath the plaster, original decorations of unknown and, no doubt, little prominent painters. In the XVII century our art-loving king, Christian IV, called in Dutch and German artists to work for him; he also sent Danes abroad for their improvement. In 1734 the Academy of Fine Arts was established at Copenhagen. The able painter Abild- gaard was, at the close of the century, appointed its director, but the public were cold and indifferent towards his too learned illustrations of the least popular of classic authors, produced in a shape showing a thorough study, no doubt, of the merits of the old masters, but abso- lutely wanting all signs of a fresh observation of nature. Eckersberg was, from 1810—1813, a pupil of David’s, the classic French painter, and David’s instruction exercised a great influence on the technical side of his art; but Eckersberg never became a classic. It fell to his lot to execute a great number of historical paintings and altar pieces, and this he did with great conscientiousness, thoroughness and