Alexander Christian Habbe (22 April 1829 – 14 April 1896) was a Danish-born artist in Australia, known for his scene paintings for major theatres in Sydney and Melbourne.

History

Habbe was born in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

and saw action in the first First Schleswig War of 1848, when Denmark attempted to annexe Holstein. He was severely injured in the fighting, and was nearly two years in a military hospital. In 1855, he left with his older brother, the painter Nicholas Francis Habbe (10 April 1827 – 11 November 1889) for Victoria, where the goldfields were being overrun by hopeful miners. He had no luck, but found employment with the canvas theatres of Ballarat: Tom Hetherington's Theatre Royal and the Charlie Napier and Montezuma theatres, painting scenery and backdrops for the various burlesques and plays that provided entertainment for the diggers and their families. Stage scenery was taken seriously by critics and audiences, and the artist was often credited alongside the actors. In 1858 he was employed by

George Coppin George Selth Coppin (8 April 1819 – 14 March 1906) was a comic actor, a theatrical entrepreneur, a politician and a philanthropist, active in Australia.Sally O'Neill,Coppin, George Selth (1819–1906), '' Australian Dictionary of Biography'', ...

, to paint scenes for the comedy ''An Unequal Match'' at the

Theatre Royal, Melbourne The Theatre Royal was one of the premier theatres for nearly 80 years in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 1855 to 1932. It was located at what is now 236 Bourke Street, once the heart of the city's theatre and entertainment distri ...

. One of his first assignments in Melbourne was in April 1859 alongside William Pitt and

W. J. Wilson William John Wilson (24 December 1833 – 21 June 1909) was a British actor and theatre scenery painter, who had a career in Australia that included theatre management. History Wilson was born in London to an artistic family with Scottish roots. ...

, painting scenes for J. R. Planche's ''The Yellow Dwarf'', directed by

Fred Younge Frederick George Younge (12 February 1825 – 6 December 1870) was an English comic actor, in Australia for six years. History Younge was born in London, a son of Richard and Sarah Elizabeth Younge. Younge and his wife Emma arrived in Melbourne i ...

, at the

. In 1860 he was in Sydney at the Victoria Theatre in Pitt-street, and afterwards at the Prince of Wales Opera House and the Queen's Theatre, then in 1865 left for Melbourne, where he worked for the opera impresario W. S. Lyster. His work for the 1880 production of ''

La Fille du Tambour-major ''La fille du tambour-major'' (''The Drum Major's Daughter'') is an opéra comique in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Alfred Duru and Henri Chivot. It was one of the composer's last works, premiered less than a year befor ...

'' at the

Melbourne Opera House The Tivoli Theatre was a major performing arts venue in Melbourne's East End Theatre District, located at 249 Bourke Street. The theatre's origins dated from 1866, with various remodelling and rebuilding throughout its history. Its final building o ...

was highly regarded. He was also associated with George Gordon, of the Princess's Theatre, for many years. His last notable work was for

George Rignold George Richard Rignold, born George Richard Rignall, (1839 – 16 December 1912) was an England, English-born actor, active in Britain and Australia. Early life Rignold was born in Birmingham, England. He was the son of William Rignall, an actor ...

's ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...

'', also at the

. One critic thought Habbe "not exactly of the calibre of Gordon, Goatcher,

Brunton Brunton may refer to: Places *Brunton, Northumberland, England (near Alnwick) *Low Brunton, Northumberland, England (near Hexham) *Brunton, Wiltshire, England *Brunton Memorial Ground, Radlett, Hertfordshire, England *Brunton, Fife, Scotland; a Lis ...

, or Hennings, but did good work". He died after some months' suffering from cancer of an internal organ, which he bore with patience and courage. In life he had been called "Crabby Habbe" on account of his cynical disposition, but one biographer said that "like a crab-apple, he was all harshness outside, but a good deal of sweetness within". Another held that he "possessed a great fund of dry humor, and quiet sarcasm, which made him a most entertaining companion". He never married. His brother and mother both died in Sydney.

Other scene painters of Australia

* John Brunton * Alfred Clint *

Phil Goatcher Phillip William Goatcher (23 November 1851 – 8 October 1931), often spelled "Philip", signing his work "Phil. W. Goatcher", was an English-born theatre scene painter who had a considerable career in America and Australia. His American-born son ...

* George Gordon * Harry Grist *

John Hennings John Hennings (c. 1833 – 13 October 1898) was a theatrical scene painter and theatre manager in Melbourne, Australia. He has been identified as Johann Friederich Hennings, probably born on 6 July 1835, son of Danish-born parents Johann Hennings, ...

* Harry Holmes * William Pitt *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Habbe, Alexander Christian 1829 births 1896 deaths 19th-century Australian painters Australian scenic designers Artists from Copenhagen