The Bornholm school of painters (''Bornholmerskolen'') started to take shape towards the beginning of the 20th century on the Danish island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

when a number of artists developed a distinctive style of classic modernism, inspired by the island's unique landscapes and light. It was not characterized by a uniform artistic line, but rather by its experiments with color, abstraction and cubism. By the end of the 19th century, artists such as

Otto Haslund Carl Otto Bentzon Haslund (4 November 1842 – 30 August 1917) was a Danish painter. He is remembered in particular for his paintings of animals and children. Biography Born in Copenhagen, Haslund attended the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts f ...

had taken inspiration on the island. In the early 1900s,

Karl Isakson Karl Oscar Isakson (16 January 1878, in Stockholm – 19 February 1922) was a Swedish painter who spent much of his professional life in Denmark where he is considered to be one of the fathers of Modernism. He had close associations with the Bor ...

(1878-1922) and

Edvard Weie Viggo Thorvald Edvard Weie (18 November 1879 - 9 April 1943) was a Danish Modernist painter. He was a recipient of Eckersberg Medal in 1925. He died during 1943 in Frederiksberg. Biography Weie was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. His father went ...

(1879-1943) were among those who were inspired by the island's constantly changing natural beauty, using pure, subdued colour to produce work in new aesthetic directions. They were soon joined by other Danish artists including

Oluf Høst Oluf Høst (18 March 1884 – 14 May 1966) was a Danish Expressionist painter, the only member of the Bornholm school who was a native Bornholmer. Although he studied in Copenhagen, he returned to the Danish island of Bornholm in 1929 where h ...

(1884-1966),

Olaf Rude Olaf Rude (26 April 1886 – 17 June 1957) was a Art of Denmark, Danish painter. He was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Art from 1953 to 1956. He is remembered in particular for his paintings of oak trees at Skejten on Lolland, two of ...

(1886-1957),

Kræsten Iversen Kristen "Kræsten" Iversen (, 26 January 1886 - 9 August 1955) was a Danish artist who is remembered both for his paintings and his painted glass windows. He was a member of the Bornholm school of painters and a professor at the Royal Danish Acad ...

(1886-1955) and

Niels Lergaard Niels Lergaard (10 February 1893-25 July 1982) was a Danish painter. He was a member of the Bornholm school of painters. Biography Lergaard was born at Vorup in Randers, Denmark. He first trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in ...

(1893-1982), They lived mainly in the picturesque little ports of

Gudhjem Gudhjem is a small town and fishing port on the northern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. Its population is 736 (1 January 2022). Gudhjem is a popular venue for tourists who are attracted by its steep, picturesque streets, views ...

and

Svaneke Svaneke (''Swencke'' in 1410, from old Danish ''swan'' swan and ''*wīka'' inlet) is a small town on the eastern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. It lies mainly in Svaneke parish and partly in Ibsker parish. It is Denmark's east ...

on the northern coast, adventuring at times over to the small island of

Christiansø Ertholmene (formerly spelled ''Ærtholmene)'' is a small archipelago in Denmark. The largest island is Christiansø, and its name often refers to the entire archipelago. Ertholmene is situated northeast of Gudhjem, Bornholm, and contains De ...

where they found further seclusion and inspiration. Many of the works of the Bornholm School can be seen in the

Bornholm Art Museum The Bornholm Art Museum (''Bornholms Kunstmuseum'') is situated on the Danish island of Bornholm, above the Sanctuary Rocks (''Helligdomsklipperne'') about 6 kilometres north-west of Gudhjem, Denmark. History The museum's permanent collection co ...

(''Bornholms Kunstmuseum'') near Gudhjem and in the

Oluf Høst Museum The Oluf Høst Museum is located on Løkkegade Street in Gudhjem on the Danish island of Bornholm. It is dedicated to Oluf Høst (1884–1966), one of the island's most famous artists, and includes an exhibition of some of his paintings. It was ...

at Gudhjem.

References

Literature

* {{cite book, last=Fabritius, first=Elisabeth, title=Danish Artists' Colonies: The Skagen Painters, the Funen Painters, the Bornholm Painters, the Odsherred Painters, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wYyDMQAACAAJ, year=2007, publisher=

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 Ma ...

, isbn=978-87-88686-39-5 20th-century Danish painters Bornholm Danish artist groups and collectives Artist colonies

See also

References

Literature