Louise Christiane Ravn-Hansen (19 July 1849, in

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 ...

– January 1909, in the Havel River, near

Schwanenwerder Schwanenwerder (; English: "Swan Ait") is an island in the locality of Nikolassee in southwestern Berlin, located in a wider stretch of the Havel close to the eastern bank and adjacent to the Großer Wannsee to the south of it. The neighbourhood ...

) was a Danish landscape painter and etcher.

Biography

Her father was a railroad stoker. She lost both parents when she was eight and was adopted by her uncle, Niels Frederik Hansen, a cloth merchant.Brief Biography
@ Den Store Danske. She received her first art instruction from the flower painter, Emma Mulvad (1838-1903). From 1872 to 1876, she studied at the "Painting School for Women", operated by Vilhelm Kyhn. In the summer, she made drawings of the statues and reliefs at the and, for a time, took private lessons from

Jørgen Roed Jørgen Roed, (13 January 1808 – 8 August 1888), Danish portrait and genre painter associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting, was born in Ringsted to Peder Jørgensen Roed and wife, Ellen Hansdatter. Biography Growing up His father, ...

.Biographical notes
@ the Kunstindeks Danmark. During this time, she also began painting en

plein aire ''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 ...

. In 1877, she had her first showing of landscapes 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 ...

and became a regular participant for the rest of her life. She also had showings at the

Nordic Exhibition of 1888 The Nordic exhibition of Industry, Agriculture, and Art of 1888 (''Den Nordiske Industri-, Landbrugs- og Kunstudstilling i Kjøbenhavn 1888'') was an exhibition that aimed to feature the best of art, industry, and agriculture from the five Nordi ...

and the Glaspalast (Munich) in 1899, among others. In 1888, along with 22 other female artists, including

Marie Luplau Henriette Marie Antonette Luplau (September 7, 1848 – August 16, 1925) was a Danish artist and educator, active in the women's movement. She conducted an art school for women in Copenhagen with her partner, artist Emilie Mundt. Early life and ...

, Emilie Mundt and

Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen (born Anne Marie Brodersen; 21 June 1863 – 21 February 1945) was a Danish sculptor. Her preferred themes were domestic animals and people, with an intense, naturalistic portrayal of movements and sentiments. She al ...

, she signed a petition to the

Rigsdagen Rigsdagen () was the name of the national legislature of Denmark from 1849 to 1953. ''Rigsdagen'' was Denmark's first parliament, and it was incorporated in the Constitution of 1849. It was a bicameral legislature, consisting of two houses, th ...

demanding that women be admitted to 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 ...

.Brief biography
@ the Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon. That same year saw the establishment of the Royal Academy Art School for Women. Although she helped recruit

Viggo Johansen Viggo Johansen (3 January 1851 – 18 December 1935) was a Danish painter and active member of the group of Skagen Painters who met every summer in the north of Jutland. He was one of Denmark's most prominent painters in the 1890s. Early life an ...

as a teacher there, she was generally not involved in the school. In 1890, she received a grant from the Raben-Levetzauske Fund, a scientific, educational and cultural fund established by , a major landowner. This enabled her to study in Italy and Germany. She made several trips to Berlin, where she could have her etchings produced at a much higher quality. She drowned in the Havel River on her way to Berlin; apparently the result of an accident, but the circumstances are unclear. After her death, a life grant in her name was established at the Academy. In 1916, the grant went to Emma Meyer, Ravn-Hansen's close friend and travelling companion.

References

External links

ArtNet: More works by Ravn-Hansen.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ravn-Hansen, Louise 1849 births 1909 deaths 19th-century Danish painters 19th-century Danish women artists Danish landscape painters Artists from Copenhagen Danish etchers Deaths by drowning Danish feminists Women etchers