The Royal Danish CollectionRosenborgC.W. Eckersberg

C.W. Eckersberg

Christian Wilhelm Eckersberg was born in Blåkrog in South Jutland and stands as one of the most important Danish painters of the 19th century. He was an apprentice in several places in Jutland before he began studying at the Academy of Arts in Copenhagen, aged 20 years. Here he took lessons from the painter and architect Nicolai Abildgaard, among others.

Travelling abroad Eckersberg went to Paris, where he became apprenticed with the painter J.L. David. He later travelled to Rome and this was marked by his many drawn and painted prospects of the city and its environs. They are considered the high point of his artistic career and as epochal in the history of Danish landscape painting.

He returned to Copenhagen in 1816 a celebrated national personality and, in 1818, was appointed professor at the Academy of Arts. At Rosenborg there is a portrait of Frederik VI with family. Even though painting of portraits wasn’t Eckersberg’s forte, his sharp eye has captured the arranged family in an almost photographic manner.

 

Relations

16 Frederik VI's Room

Like Frederik V's Cabinet and Christian VII's Room, this narrow room is one of the interiors designed by Johannes Wiedewelt in 1782-1784.

Frederik VI and family

Frederik VI and Queen Marie with Princesses Caroline and Vilhelmine. Painted by C.W. Eckersberg, 1821.

Bertel Thorvaldsen

Bertel Thorvaldsen is one of the most famous sculptors in Denmark. His work was clearly inspired by classiscal Greece and Rome.

Vilhelmine

Princess Vilhelmine was the daughter of Frederik VI and Marie Sophie Frederikke. She was married to Prince Frederik (VII) from 1828 to 1837 and from 1838 to Duke Carl of Schleswig-Holstein.

Marie Sophie Frederikke

Marie Sophie Frederikke became Queen of Denmark in 1808. She was the daughter of Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Kassel and married Frederik (VI) in 1790.

1825-1850

The years towards the middle of the 19th century became increasingly marked by the national conflict between the Danes and Germans in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. It culminated in the Three Years' War, or the First Schleswig War in 1848-51.

1850-1875

The social and political revolts in Europe in 1848 had ushered in new times for European states, and for Denmark too. But even though the absolute monarchy was abolished with the Constitution of 1849, the monarchy was far from disengaged from power.

1800-1825

At the beginning of the 19th century, the long peaceful period ended. International relations in connection with the Napoleonic Wars made it difficult for Denmark to stay neutral.