Ole Henrik Benedictus Olrik (24 May 1830 – 2 January 1890) 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,

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and applied artist.

Early life and education

Henrik Olrik, born in Copenhagen, was son of customs inspector Henrik Johan Ludvig Olrik and Benedicte Martinette (née Heiberg). Olrik was admitted to

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 ...

in 1844 where he initially studied sculpture under

Herman Wilhelm Bissen Herman Wilhelm Bissen (13 October 1798 – 10 March 1868) was a Danish sculptor. Biography Bissen was born at Schleswig in the Duchy of Schleswig. He was the son of Christian Gottlieb Wilhelm Bissen (1766-1847), a farmer, and Anna Margret ...

, while in the same time working at the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory, where he made reduced copies of Bertel Thorvaldsen works. He graduated from the Academy in 1851 after winning two silver medals for his works in 1848 and 1851. In 1854 Olrik went to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 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), ma ...

pursue his painting interests. He studied in the studio of

Thomas Couture Thomas Couture (21 December 1815 – 30 March 1879) was a French history painter and teacher. He taught such later luminaries of the art world as Édouard Manet, Henri Fantin-Latour, John La Farge,Wilkinson, Burke. ''The Life and Works of A ...

and had his first painting exhibition in 1855.

Career as an artist

After returning to Denmark in 1855, Olrik soon became recognized as a reputable portrait painter and painted portraits of a wide variety of individuals including King

Christian IX of Denmark Christian IX (8 April 181829 January 1906) was King of Denmark from 1863 until his death in 1906. From 1863 to 1864, he was concurrently Duke of Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg. A younger son of Frederick William, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein- ...

(1877) and his daughter Alexandra (1873), later the Princess of Wales as well as members of the Danish Parliament and representatives of Scandinavian high society, including Sigurd Ibsen and Henrik Ibsen. Olrik also specialized in still lifes, landscapes, historic, and religious paintings. Some of his religious works can be found in Marble Church as well as the large altarpiece at St. Mathew's Church in Copenhagen. In 1871, Olrik become a member of the

, in 1883 professor titular, and in 1887 he was elected to Akademirådet.

Pursuits in design and decorative arts

In addition to being a successful painter, Olrik was active in the field of decorative arts and design. In 1853, prior to his time in Paris, he won the Neuhausenske Prize for a silver sugar bowl He made various design projects for numerous manufacturers including Ipsens Terrakottafabrik, the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Factory, HC Drewsens Elektropletfabrik, Cuckoo and V. Christesens Sølvvarefabrik. His designs included items as diverse as tableware, bindings, sables and coins. He also prepared a design of a monument for Tsar Alexander II of Russia (1884).

Private life

He married Hermine Valentine (1839-1917) in May 1859. They had six children; Benedicte Olrik,

Dagmar Olrik Dagmar Olrik (1860–1932) was a Danish painter and tapestry artist. She is remembered for her weaving and tapestry work, in particular for decorating a room in Copenhagen's City Hall with tapestries based on cartoons of Nordic mythology created ...

Axel Olrik Axel Olrik (3 July 1864 – 17 February 1917) was a Danish folklorist and scholar of mediaeval historiography, and a pioneer in the methodical study of oral narrative. Olrik was born in Frederiksberg, the son of the artist Henrik Olrik. Art ...

, Eyvind Olrik, Hans Olrik and Jørgen Olrik. He died at

Frederiksberg Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is formally an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the City of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of ...

and was buried at Vestre Kirkegard.

Gallery

Image:Christian IX af Henrik Olrik.jpg, King Christian IX of Denmark (1877, Amalienborg) Image:Ibsen by Olrik.jpg, Henrik Ibsen
(1879, National Gallery. Oslo) File:Sankt Matthaeus Kirke Copenhagen altarpiece.jpg, Altarpiece at St. Matthew's Church, Copenhagen

Early life and education

Career as an artist

Pursuits in design and decorative arts

Private life

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading