The Royal Danish CollectionRosenborgPaul Prieur

Paul Prieur

Paul Prieur was a painter of miniatures and enameller. He was born in Paris and was trained there and in Geneva as a goldsmith and enameller. Between 1659 and 1681 he lived in Denmark, working for the Royal Court.

Most of his Royal portraits are very small, painted on gold and meant for the King to present as signs of honour. As a painter of enamel, Prieur was among the most influential in Europe and he was the earliest practitioner of this art form in Denmark. His strength was not the character sketch, because he was always painting from originals of others. But he possessed a unique technical skill and great knowledge about the colour, chemistry and the ideal baking of enamel.

What is characteristic for Prieur are the unusually strong and glossy colours, especially a light blue, which is often used as background for portraits. Two large enamel works of Frederik III and the King’s five oldest children, which are both kept at Rosenborg, are without equal in European art of the time.

 

Relations

Frederik III's children

Frederik III's five eldest children.

Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld

Peder Schumacher was the son of pub-owner Joachim Schumacher but attained the rank and position of Count and Chancellor.

1625-1650

The second half of Christian IV's reign became a time of recession. The economic crisis became more severe, and at the same time the fortunes of war turned.

1650-1675

The wars of Charles Gustavus (1657-1658 and 1658-1660) were the important events in foreign politics of the period. The loss of Scania, Halland and Blekinge at the Peace of Roskilde in 1658 was a nadir of power politics in Danish history.

Frederik III

Frederik III was the King of Denmark-Norway from 1648; he was married to Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1643 and father to Christian V.

Christian V

Christian V was the King of Denmark-Norway from 1670; son of Frederik III and Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg. He was married to Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel in 1667. He was the father of Frederik IV.

Frederik III, 1663

Enamel portrait of Frederik III. Made by Paul Prieur, 1663. The portrait is a masterpiece, since the enamel’s melting point limits both the number of colours and the size of the miniature.

Griffenfeld, 1675

Portrait of Count Peder Schumacher Griffenfeld. Enamelled miniature made by Paul Prieur 1675.