I would like to tell you about one of my favorites:
Anna Ancher
danish painter
- one of the
famous
SKAGEN-painters
Anna Kirstine Brøndum was born in Skagen, Denmark, the daughter of Erik Andersen Brøndum (1820–1890) and Ane Hedvig Møller (1826-1916). She was the only one of the Skagen Painters who was actually born and grew up in Skagen where her father owned the Brøndums Hotel. The artistic talent of Anna Ancher became obvious at an early age and she grew acquainted with pictorial art via the many artists who settled to paint in Skagen, in north of Jutland.
Here are some of her paintings:
(In my opinion, she is even just as talented as her famous husband, the painter Michael Ancher, who actually got all the spotlight.)
She painted the interior from her own house - here her blue room. Her daughter Helga below:
While she studied drawing for three years at the Vilhelm Kyhn College of Painting in Copenhagen, she developed her own style and was a pioneer in observing the interplay of different colours in natural light. She also studied drawing in Paris at the atelier of Pierre Puvis de Chavannes along with Marie Triepcke, who would marry Peder Severin Krøyer, another Skagen painter. In 1880 she married fellow painter Michael Ancher, whom she met in Skagen. They had one daughter, Helga Ancher. Despite pressure from society that married women should devote themselves to household duties, she continued painting after marriage.
Anna Ancher is considered to be one of the great Danish pictorial artists by virtue of her abilities as a character painter and colourist. Her art found its expression in Nordic art's modern breakthrough towards a more truthful depiction of reality, e.g. in Blue Ane (1882) and The Girl in the Kitchen (1883–1886). See below.
Ancher preferred to paint interiors and simple themes from the everyday lives of the Skagen people, especially fishermen, women and children. She was intensely preoccupied with exploring light and colour, as in Interior with Clematis (1913). She also created more complex compositions such as A Funeral (1891). Anna Ancher's works have often represented Danish art abroad. She was awarded the Ingenio et Arti medal in 1913[4] and the Tagea Brandt Rejselegat in 1924.
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| The Maid in the Kitchen |
Anna Ancher painted the peaceful everyday life.
The peaceful rooms with the hard working women.
Look at the way, she was catching the very special light in Skagen at the north of Denmark.
Michael & Anna Ancher's House in Skagen:
The Skagen residence of Anne and Michael Ancher was purchased in 1884. In 1913, a large studio annex was added to the property and this also forms part of what is on display today.
Upon her death in 1964, the Anchers' daughter, Helga, left the house and all of its contents to a foundation. The former residence was restored and opened as a museum and visitor attraction.
In 1967, Michael and Anna Ancher's house was turned into a museum by the Helga Ancher Foundation. Michael and Anna Ancher's house (Anchers Hus) in Skagen has been converted to a museum and is open to the public for tours. Original furniture and paintings created by the Anchers and other Skagen artists are shown in the restored home and studio. Art exhibitions are arranged in the Saxild House (Saxilds Gaard), another building on the property. This house is filled with displays of paintings by Michael and Anna Ancher as well as those from many other Skagen painters who made up their circle of friends.
Anna Ancher was born in 1859 in Skagen, the daughter of Ane and Erik Brøndum, the owners of Brøndum's Hotel. She was a young girl when the painters began arriving in Skagen, she studied them and began sketching and painting herself. Her career was unique. At that time it was not an ordinary thing for women to have an artistic education - and they did not have access to the art academy in Copenhagen. She was admitted on a private painting school for women in Copenhagen (Vilhelm Kyhn's school), where she followed the teaching for three winter seasons 1875-78. She later studied in Paris. Vilhelm Kyhn was of the opinion that Anna Ancher had to give up her paint box, when she got married - he meant she had to devote herself to the household duties. He sent a wedding gift of six pair of cups and saucers and demanded that "now his little Anna had to walk down to the beach with her paint box and all her materials and let them sail, for now she was a married woman who had to forget the art and only think about the domesticity. - Anna had to understand this!"
And just look at this masterpiece of the old woman!
Luckily for us, Anna Ancher did still find time for painting.
Below a painting from the lovely gardens in Skagen, when the weather is most heavenly.
Anna Ancher was married to the Skagen-painter Michael Ancher in 1880. They had a daughter Helga in 1883 and lived together in Skagen for the rest of their lives. In 1884 they resided in the house in Skagen which since 1967 is established as a museum "Michael and Anna Anchers house".
Anna Ancher is known as a painter of light and sunshine, as an impressionistic inspired colourist. To her it was first of all colours and light. She experienced a wide recognition from Scandinavian and international exhibitions and obtained several honors.
I hope, you enjoyed this little story about one of the famous Skagen-painters. Later, I will be writing about her husband, Michael Ancher and some other important artists from this time.
I strongly recommend a visit to Skagen, because it is a charming place for tourists. There are some fantastic beaches, lovely houses, good sea-food and about all:
Lots of art from the SKAGEN-painters.
Links to visit:
