Jørgen Emil Aabye, born Olsen, (9 June 1868 – 22 June 1959) was a Danish painter. His works were varied widely, ranging from religious art to portraits and landscapes. Above all, he is remembered for his portraits.

Early life

Born near Nørre Aaby on Funen, he was the son of a well-to-do farmer. He began studying painting under

Vilhelm Kyhn Peter Vilhelm Carl Kyhn (March 30, 1819 – May 11, 1903) was a Danish landscape painter who belonged to the generation of national romantic painters immediately after the Danish Golden Age and before the Modern Breakthrough. Even though he outliv ...

in Copenhagen before attending the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he graduated in 1892. He then spent a couple of years at Zahrtmann's School in Copenhagen before completing his studies at

J.F. Willumsen Jens Ferdinand Willumsen (7 September 1863 – 4 April 1958) was a Danish painter, sculptor, graphic artist, architect and photographer. He became associated with the movements of Symbolism and Expressionism. Biography J. F. Willumsen was bor ...

's school in Paris. As a student, he travelled widely to Germany, Italy and France. He changed his name from Olsen to Aabye in 1904.Sten Hartung, "Jørgen Aabye"
''Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon''. Retrieved 26 October 2013.

Career

Aabye came under many different influences during his studies. During his travels, he first associated with the

Pre-Raphaelites The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (later known as the Pre-Raphaelites) was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James ...

before coming under the influence of

Kristian Zahrtmann Peder Henrik Kristian Zahrtmann, known as Kristian Zahrtmann, (31 March 1843 – 22 June 1917) was a Danish painter. He was a part of the Danish artistic generation in the late 19th century, along with Peder Severin Krøyer and Theodor Esbern Phi ...

in Copenhagen and then J.F. Willumsen in Paris. His religious works such as the

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane in Nørre Aaby Church and his paintings of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary were inspired by the Pre-Raphaelites or by Carl Bloch. Later he turned to landscapes which have a strong affinity to the work of Cézanne. His finest works are his portraits which display the joy of Naturalism's colour he had learnt from Zahrtmann and Willumsen. Aabye frequently exhibited at Charlottenborg (starting in 1892). From 1900, for a period of 40 years he spent every summer in Skagen becoming one of the younger generation of

Skagen Painters The Skagen Painters ( da, Skagensmalerne) were a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered in the village of Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, from the late 1870s until the turn of the century. Skagen was a summer destination whose scen ...

. He spent his last 30 years at the Kunstnerhjemmet (Artists' Home) in Copenhagen. His works include landscapes, interiors, floral paintings, portraits and genre subjects."Hjemmeside for Jørgen Aabye Samlingen"
Retrieved 26 October 2013.

References

Literature

*Hans Buch (2008), ''Maleren Jørgen Aabye'', Middelfart Museum, 226 pages. {{DEFAULTSORT:Aabye, Jorgen Emil 1868 births 1959 deaths 19th-century Danish painters Danish male painters 20th-century Danish painters Skagen Painters People from Middelfart Municipality 19th-century Danish male artists 20th-century Danish male artists