Janus la Cour by Fritz's fotografiske Atelier

Janus Andreas Bartholin la Cour (5 September 1837 – 13 October 1909) was a Danish painter who is remembered for his landscapes painted in the classical style of the Eckersberg school.

Biography

Born near

Ringkøbing Ringkøbing (older spelling ''Ringkjøbing'') is a town in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality in Region Midtjylland on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. It has a population of 9,894 (1 January 2022).Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwest ...

area, attending Aarhus Latin School where he was introduced to painting by

Emmerik Høegh-Guldberg Emmerik Lucian Høegh-Guldberg (4 May 1807 – 31 May 1881) was a Danish painter who was born in Aarhus to Julius Høegh-Guldberg, a military officer and politician, and his wife Margrethe Pallene Hahn. His half-brother was the politician Chris ...

and his apprentice

Christen Købke Christen Schiellerup Købke (26 May 1810 – 7 February 1848) was a Danish painter, and one of the best known artists from the Golden Age of Danish Painting. Childhood and early training He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was one of 11 c ...

. In 1853, he moved to Copenhagen where he studied privately under

Wilhelm Marstrand Nicolai Wilhelm Marstrand (24 December 1810 – 25 March 1873), painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith. Marstrand is one of the most renowned ar ...

and, from 1856, under P.C. Skovgaard who was particularly important for his artistic development and became a personal friend. From 1861 to 1884, la Cour lived with the Skovgaard family in Copenhagen. He attended 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 Dani ...

from 1857 to 1864. During several trips to Italy, he painted landscapes of

Lake Nemi Lake Nemi ( it, Lago di Nemi, la, Nemorensis Lacus, also called Diana's Mirror, la, Speculum Dianae) is a small circular volcanic lake in the Lazio region of Italy south of Rome, taking its name from Nemi, the largest town in the area, that ...

and Tivoli. In Denmark, he painted scenes from eastern Jutland, especially the area around Aarhus and

Silkeborg Silkeborg () is a Danish town with a population of 49,747 (1 January 2022).Beder south of Aarhus and in 1888 settled for the rest of his life in Langballegård near

Mårslet Mårslet is a railway town in Denmark, located about south of Aarhus. It has a population of 5,004 (1 January 2022). Mårslet is located in Aarhus Municipality and therefore is part of the Central Denmark Region. Mårslet is situated on the hist ...

. He purposely distanced himself from the Copenhagen-scene where more modern trends in painting ''

en plein air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

'' were breaking the Academic traditions of the Eckersberg school. Several of la Cour's paintings are in the collection of

Statens Museum for Kunst The National Gallery of Denmark ( da, Statens Museum for Kunst, also known as "SMK", literally State Museum for Art) is the Danish national gallery, located in the centre of Copenhagen. The museum collects, registers, maintains, researches and han ...

Awards

La Cour was awarded the

Thorvaldsen Medal The Thorvaldsen Medal (Danish: Thorvaldsens Medalje, Thorvaldsen Medaillen) is awarded annually with few exceptions to a varying number of recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and is its highest distinction within the visual arts. It ...

in 1871. He was decorated with the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

in 1892.

Literature

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cour, Janus la 1837 births 1909 deaths 19th-century Danish painters Danish male painters Danish landscape painters People from Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni 19th-century Danish male artists