Frants Peter Diderik Henningsen (22 June 1850,

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 ...

– 20 March 1908, Copenhagen) 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 ...

painter, illustrator and professor. His paintings depict unfortunate occurrences in the lives of middle-class people living in Copenhagen during difficult times. His connections with Denmark's more traditional, realist school encouraged criticism from many of his more reactionary contemporaries, especially

Karl Madsen Carl Johan Wilhelm Madsen, commonly known as Karl Madsen, (22 March 1855 – 16 April 1938) was a Danish painter and art historian with close connections to the Skagen Painters. Early life and education Born in Copenhagen on 22 March 1855, Ma ...

who objected to his appointment as a professor at the Academy in 1887.

Erik Henningsen Erik Ludvig Henningsen (29 August 1855 – 28 November 1930) was a Denmark, Danish painter and illustrator. He is best known for his Social realism, Social Realist paintings of poor and exposed groups in the 1880s and 1890s. He was the younger brot ...

, also an artist, was his younger brother.

Biography

After graduating from Borgerdyd School in

Christianshavn Christianshavn (literally, "ingChristian's Harbour") is a neighbourhood in Copenhagen, Denmark. Part of the Indre By District, it is located on several artificial islands between the islands of Zealand and Amager and separated from the rest of th ...

, Henningsen attended drawing school and then attended the

Danish Academy Danish Academy is an independent organisation founded in 1960 by a circle of Danish intellectuals "to promote Danish esprit and language, especially within the field of literature". It has up to 20 members, currently 18, and is based at Rungstedl ...

where he successfully completed his studies in 1875. From 1877 to 1878, he studied at

Léon Bonnat Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Early life Bonnat was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 he lived in M ...

's school in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. In 1878, he travelled to Spain together with

Peder Severin Krøyer Peder Severin Krøyer (; 23 July 1851 – 21 November 1909), also known as P. S. Krøyer, was a Danish painter. Life Growing up and early training Krøyer was born in Stavanger, Norway, on 23 July 1851 to Ellen Cecilie Gjesdal. He was rai ...

, and Julius Lange.Carl Bruun, "Henningsen, Frants Peter Diderik"
Dansk biografisk leksikon, Vol. 7, p. 352, ''Gyldendal'' (1887–1905). Retrieved 1 June 2011.

Artistic style

The first painting he exhibited was a portrait of the actress Julie Sødring in 1874, after which he exhibited virtually every year 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 ...

held at the

Charlottenborg Palace Charlottenborg Palace ( da, Charlottenborg Slot) is a large town mansion located on the corner of Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn in Copenhagen, Denmark. Originally built as a residence for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, it has served as the base of the R ...

. Despite his studies under Bonnat, he remained a rather traditional, though diligent and careful artist, portraying everything from portraits, genre works, and landscapes to animal paintings and illustrations. His painting of ''En Begravelse'' (A Funeral) (1883) shows how he had mastered the use of colour from the Spanish school, for example

Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of th ...

. His dark tones and a deep, dull black are not unlike

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Born ...

and the early works of Krøyer. His interest in compassion rather than beautification can be seen in his masterpiece of an abandoned mother in ''Forladt. Dog ej af Venner i Nøden'' (Deserted. But not by Friends in Need).

Selected works

Gallery

File:En begravelse (Frants Henningsen).jpg, ''A Funeral'' (1883) File:Forladt Dog ej af venner i nøden.jpg, ''Abandoned'' (1888) File:Frants Henningsen - Hos pantelåneren - KMS1469 - Statens Museum for Kunst.jpg, ''At the pawnbroker'' (1893) File:Henningsen En helt fra 1864 1901.jpg, ''A Hero from 1864'' (1901) File:Henningsen Industricafeen 1906.jpg, ''A Café in Copenhagen'' (1906)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henningsen, Frants 19th-century Danish painters Danish male painters 20th-century Danish painters 1850 births 1908 deaths Artists from Copenhagen Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal 19th-century Danish male artists 20th-century Danish male artists