Jørgen Valentin Sonne (24 June 1801 – 24 September 1890) was a Danish

genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

painter; known primarily for his battle scenes.

Biography

Jørgen Sonne was born at Birkerød. His father, Jeppe (1771–1833), was a copperplate engraver for the Royal Mint. His brother Carl Edvard Sonne (1804–1878) was a printmaker. Sonne originally intended to pursue a military career and enrolled at the

Royal Danish Military Academy The Royal Danish Military Academy ( da, Hærens Officersskole) educates and commissions all officers for the Royal Danish Army. The Military Academy function was initiated in 1713 by request of King Frederick IV on inspiration from the Naval Aca ...

, but left after a year and 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 Dan ...

instead. At the same time, he began to work in the studios of Christian David Gebauer, mostly making copies of the old

Dutch Masters Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history roughly spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Repub ...

.Biographical notes
''Kunstindeks Danmark''. He also painted some original pictures and had a small showing in 1818. Jørgen V

In 1828, he received a travel stipend from the Academy that allowed him to visit Munich, where he became an apprentice of the history painter,

Peter von Cornelius Peter von Cornelius (23 September 1783, Düsseldorf – 6 March 1867, Berlin) was a German painter; one of the main representatives of the Nazarene movement. Life Early years Cornelius was born in Düsseldorf. From the age of twelve he attend ...

. He stayed there for three years and made several trips into the mountains to do landscapes, which are not among his best works. When he left Munich, he was able to obtain further support for studies in Rome. While there, he made numerous hunting trips as an excuse to observe the rural peasants and their daily habits. During these trips he made sketches that he would use as inspiration throughout his career. He returned to Denmark in 1841; producing works based on his Italian studies as well as ones depicting the Danish peasantry. In 1848, following the start of the

First Schleswig War The First Schleswig War (german: Schleswig-Holsteinischer Krieg) was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig-Holstein Question, contesting the issue of who should control the Duchies of Schleswi ...

, he was given permission to accompany the army to

Southern Jutland Southern Jutland ( da, Sønderjylland; German: Südjütland) is the name for the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark and north of the Eider (river) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The region north of the Kongeå is called da, Nør ...

. Many of the soldiers were impressed by the way he calmly sketched while bullets flew around him. During the

Second Schleswig War The Second Schleswig War ( da, Krigen i 1864; german: Deutsch-Dänischer Krieg) also sometimes known as the Dano-Prussian War or Prusso-Danish War was the second military conflict over the Schleswig-Holstein Question of the nineteenth century. ...

, despite being sixty-three years old, he was with the army again, at the Battle of Dybbøl and in

Sønderborg (; german: Sonderburg ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 27,766 (1 January 2022), In 1865, he was awarded the (a scholarship for writers, artists and composers) and was able to return to Italy for a year. In addition to his canvases, he is known for designing a large mural on the exterior walls of the

Thorvaldsen Museum The Thorvaldsen Museum is a single-artist museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to the art of Danish Neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844), who lived and worked in Rome for most of his life (1796–1838). The museum is locat ...

and illustrations for a Danish translation of the Hindu play, '' Shakuntala''. He was appointed a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1852, and received the

Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn, also referred to as the Cross of Honour of the Order of the Dannebrog (post-nominals: D.Ht.), is a meritous award connected to the Danish Order of the Dannebrog. The cross was instituted by King Frederick VI of Den ...

in 1881. During his last decade, he began having eye problems and became too weak to paint for long periods. To the end, his artistic outlook was conservative; believing that the latest trends were simply a way to hide lack of content. He never married.

References

External links

ArtNet: More works by Sonne.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonne, Jorgen 1801 births 1890 deaths 19th-century Danish painters Danish male painters Danish genre painters Military art Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog Burials at Holmen Cemetery People from Rudersdal Municipality 19th-century Danish male artists