upright=0.8, Alfred Schmidt Alfred Michael Roedsted Schmidt (3 May 1858 – 4 April 1938) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

illustrator, caricaturist and painter. He later became known primarily as a cartoonist.

Biography

Alfred Schmidt was born at

Horsens Horsens () is a city on the east coast of Jutland region of Denmark. It is the seat of the Horsens municipality. The city's population is 61,074 (1 January 2022) and the municipality's population is 94,443 (), making it the 8th largest city in De ...

, Denmark. He received lessons from painter and drawing master Frederik Ferdinand Helsted (1809–1875) and later studied at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) 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 Dan ...

from 1874-1882. His art was featured at the

Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition The Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition (''Charlottenborg Forårsudstilling'') is an annual art exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark. The event is held at the Charlottenborg Exhibition Building (''Kunsthal Charlottenborg''). Kunsthal Charlottenborg ...

1883-1886. His ability to skew funny situations made him known and loved in broad circles. He was best known for his satirical

drawings Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, c ...

of politicians, including a recurring joke about Prime Minister J.C. Christensen being accompanied by a fox as illustration of this politician's cunning. He was main editor and contributor to the satirical magazine ''Klods-Hans'' (1899-1926). From 1880 he drew for ''Punch'', ''Fliegende Blätte'' from 1884 and from 1889 for ''Blæksprutten''. He also illustrated books such as Christian Winther's picture book ''Flugten til Amerika'' (1900) and the later editions of

Molbo story A Molbo story is a Danish folktale about the people of Mols, who live in eastern Jutland near the town of Ebeltoft. In these tales the Molboes are portrayed as a simple folk, who act foolishly while attempting to be wise. History ''Molbohistori ...

(''molbohistorier'') He died at

Hellerup Hellerup () is a very affluent district of Gentofte Municipality in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The most urban part of the district is centred on Strandvejen and is bordered by Østerbro to the south and the Øresund to the east. It compr ...

Gentofte Gentofte () is a district of Gentofte Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. Major landmarks include Gentofte Town Hall, Gentofte Hospital and Gentofte Church. Gentofte Lake with surrounding parkland and nature reserves form ...

and was buried at

Garrison Cemetery, Copenhagen Garrison Cemetery ( Danish: Garnisons Kirkegård) is a cemetery in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was inaugurated in 1671 on a site just outside the Eastern City Gate, as a military cemetery complementing the naval Holmens Cemetery which had been inaugur ...

Gallery

File:Flugten til Amerika - forsideillustration.png, Illustration for ''Flugten til Amerika'' File:Flugten til Amerika 2.jpg, Illustration in ''Flugten til Amerika'' File:Flugten til Amerika 6.jpg, Illustration in ''Flugten til Amerika'' File:Opera singer by Alfred Schmidt.jpg, Illustration of an

opera singer Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...

File:Drawing by Alfred Schmidt 1887.jpg, Illustration to a ''The Stork in the Corn'', a

File:Saltholm 1904 by Alfred Schmidt.jpg, Caricature from ''Blæksprutten'' featuring fortified

Saltholm Saltholm (; ''Salt Islet'') is a Danish island in the Øresund, the strait that separates Denmark and Sweden. It is located to the east of the Danish island of Amager in Tårnby municipality and lies just to the west of the sea border between D ...

(1904) File:Klods-Hans foto (cropped).jpg, Caricature for ''Klods-Hans'' (1917) File:Blæksprutten 1917 by Alfred Schmidt.jpg, Illustration for ''Blæksprutten'' (1917)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schmidt, Alfred 1858 births 1938 deaths 19th-century Danish illustrators 20th-century Danish illustrators 19th-century Danish painters Danish male painters 20th-century Danish painters Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Danish caricaturists Danish editorial cartoonists Danish satirists People from Horsens Burials at the Garrison Cemetery, Copenhagen 19th-century Danish male artists 20th-century Danish male artists