|
|
Skagen Artist Colony
Kroyer first arrived in Skagen in 1882, and returned most years thereafter.
After his marriage to the artist (and interior designer) Marie Triepcke
in 1889, the couple made plans to move to the village full time. In 1888
Kroyer produced his first important oil painting Hip Hip Hurrah! Artists
Party at Skagen (1888). The picture was inspired by a gathering at
the Danish painter Michael Ancher's house (1849-1927). It depicts a happy
group of men and women, drinking champagne and making a toast. The scene
is framed by lush green trees, and the gentle sunlight bathes the viewers,
bottles and glasses on the table. The painting managed to capture the
sense of camaraderie among the artists in Skagen. Perhaps Kroyer modelled
it on Renoir's Luncheon
of the Boating Party (1881, Phillips Collection, Washington DC),
which depicts Renoir's own friends, relaxing at an outdoor luncheon. (Note:
for more about the French Impressionists approach to light and colour,
please see: Characteristics
of Impressionist Painting 1870-1910.)
Blue Hour Paintings
Kroyer is best known for his carefree pictures of life in Skagen. His
wife became his favourite model and, from the 1890s, she is represented
in many of his works. Summer Evening at Skagen (1892, Skagen Museum)
depicts the artist's wife standing on Skagen beach with a dog, both have
their backs to the viewer. The point in the day, where day becomes evening,
casting a blue haze over the landscape fascinated Kroyer. Here, in this
painting the moon casts a beautiful light on the sea. Summer Evening
on Skagen's South Beach with Anna Ancher and Marie Kroyer (1893, Skagen
Museum) depicts two ladies who took a walk on the beach after a dinner
party. Again, Kroyer's main study was the so called 'blue-hour', where
the sea and sky seem to merge in the same tone of blue. Another example
is Summer Evening on the Beach at Skagen: Artist and His Wife (1899,
The Hirschsprung Collection, Copenhagen). Other artists, such as James
Abbott McNeill Whistler (1834–1903) with his Nocturnes in
blue, were obsessed with the same subject. Kroyer was a champion of plein
air painting, and there are black and white photographs of the artist
sitting on the beach, working on his large canvases. The French Impressionists
had popularised this artistic practice, and it allowed the artist to capture
light directly as he saw it. The economy of objects in Kroyer’s paintings,
and the priority he gives to atmosphere lends an air of Symbolism
to his work.
Fishermen Paintings
Kroyer remained in Skagen for the rest of his life, becoming the unofficial
leader of the local artist colony. From time to time he took students,
including the interior genre painter Vilhelm
Hammershoi (1864-1916). Skagen's museum was founded in 1908 by Kroyer,
Laurits Tuxen and Michael Ancher and moved to its existing location today
in 1928. Many of the artists enjoyed painting the local fishermen, inspired
by stories of bravery and heroism at sea. Ancher in particular is known
for his portraits of fishermen, although Kroyer also painted a few. One
of his last important large-scale works was the night scene Midsummer's
Eve Bonfire on Skagen's Beach (1906, Skagens Museum). A group of spectators
gather around a bonfire. They are divided into two; the middle class are
gathered on one side, lit by the fire, while the locals stand on the other
side, in the shadow. Kroyer died in 1909, at the age of 58, due to illnesses
brought on by syphilis.
He achieved fame and prestigious awards during his life, being made a
Legion of Honour in 1888. Today, many of his paintings - many of which
hang in the best art museums around the
globe - are popular purchases in poster and other reproduction forms.
|
