''Men of Industry'' (

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 ...

: Industriens Mænd) is a 1893–1904 oil on canvas group portrait painting by

Peder Severin Krøyer Peder Severin Krøyer (; 23 July 1851 – 21 November 1909), also known as P. S. Krøyer, was a Danish painter. Life Growing up and early training Krøyer was born in Stavanger, Norway, on 23 July 1851 to Ellen Cecilie Gjesdal. He was rai ...

(1851–1909) featuring 53 leading representatives of the technical sciences in

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

during the second half of the 19th century, seen at a fictional gathering at Østerbro Power Station 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 ...

. The painting was commission by

Gustav Adolph Hagemann Gustav Adolph Hagemann (16 May 1842 – 26 April 1916) was a Danish engineer and businessman. He was chief technical officer of the Danish Sugar Factories from 1872 to 1897 and then served as chairman of the board until 1916. He owned several su ...

and is now on display in the Museum of National History at

Frederiksborg Castle Frederiksborg Castle ( da, Frederiksborg Slot) is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II ...

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 35,357 (1 January 2022)Peder Severin Krøyer Peder Severin Krøyer (; 23 July 1851 – 21 November 1909), also known as P. S. Krøyer, was a Danish painter. Life Growing up and early training Krøyer was born in Stavanger, Norway, on 23 July 1851 to Ellen Cecilie Gjesdal. He was rai ...

s portrait of him. Hagemann presented the idea of four monumental group portrait paintings for the newly refurbished Great Hall in

Børsen Børsen (Danish for "the Exchange"), also known as Børsbygningen ("The (Stock) Exchange building" in English), is a 17th-century stock exchange in the center of Copenhagen. The historic building is situated next to Christiansborg Palace, the seat ...

featuring leading representatives of the trade, industry agriculture and shipping sectors in Denmark. Only the first of the four paintings, ''

From Copenhagen Stock Exchange ''From Copenhagen Stock Exchange'' () is a monumental 1895 oil on canvas group portrait painting by Peder Severin Krøyer, featuring 50 representatives of the Danish commercial and financial industries gathered in the Great Hall of Børsen (the Ex ...

'' (1895), was realized. The idea for ''Men of Industry'' was revived in 1902 but now as a private commission by Hagemann, paid for out of his own pocket, for his home in

Bredgade Bredgade ( lit. "Broad Street") is one of the most prominent streets in Copenhagen, Denmark. Running in a straight line from Kongens Nytorv for just under one kilometre to the intersection of Esplanaden and Grønningen, it is one of the major stre ...

. Hagemann, who was a co-owner of Øresunds Chemiske Fabrikker, a board member and major shareholder of Burmeister & Wain and had just been appointed as director of the College of Advanced Technology, was at the height of his career. The price agreed upon for the painting was DKK 10,000. By February 1903, Hagemann had created a list of the people who were to feature in the painting. The choice of people was not representative but rather a reflection of Hagemann's own network. Work on the painting was interrupted when Krøyer fell ill in the summer of 1903. It was completed in December 1904. It was first shown to the public in the spring of 1905. Hagemann died in 1916. Sometime during the 1930s the painting was placed in G.A. Hagemann's Kollegium on

Kristianiagade Kristianiagade is a street located close to Østerport station in the Østerbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. Buildings in the street include Domus Medica, a former noble town mansion which now houses the Danish Medical Association. The west ...

in Copenhagen. In 1958, it was purchased for DKK 20,000 by the Museum of National History at

List of people portrayed in the painting

Other versions

Krøyer created a pen study, two pastels on cartoon and a small oil on canvas study before embarking ion the final painting. The pen study was already lost before the painting had been completed. One of the pastels belong to the Danish Association of Engineers. The other one was in August 1995 sold by Bruun Rasmussen to the utility company NESA. It was after the merger with DONG Energy placed in the Energy Museum in Viborg on loan. The oil study is privately owned.

References

{{Peder Severin Krøyer Paintings by Peder Severin Krøyer Group portraits by Danish artists Cultural depictions of Danish people Paintings in Capital Region of Denmark 1904 paintings Industrial history of Denmark

List of people portrayed in the painting

Other versions

Further reading

References