City Hall by Johann Berthelsen
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Berthelsen adds an impressionistic flare to this beautiful snow scene
Key Features
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- A wonderful painting of New York's city hall by Danish-born artist Johann Henrik Carl Berthelsen
- True to his Danish roots, Berthelsen renders this city scene in a fine blanket of snow
- His snow-covered cityscapes earned Berthelsen critical acclaim
- Signed "Johann Berthelsen" (lower right); Oil on canvas
- Canvas: 25" high x 30" wide; Frame: 31" high x 36" wide
Item Details
- Width:
C: 30; F: 36 Inches - Height:
C: 25; F: 31 Inches - Period:
19th Century - Origin:
America - Subject:
Cityscapes - Artist:
Berthelsen, Johann
Johann Henrik Carl Berthelsen
1883-1969 · Danish-American
City Hall
Signed "Johann Berthelsen" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
An outstanding impressionist snow scene of New York's city hall by Danish-born artist Johann Henrik Carl Berthelsen. In homage of his Scandinavian heritage, Berthelsen excelled in rendering exquisite landscapes blanketed in fine, white snow. He is best known for works with his beloved New York as the subject, which are often compared to those of the French Impressionist movement, namely Claude Monet.
Born in Copenhagen, Berthelsen was six when he immigrated to the United States. Though he is known best for his painting, his initial passion was for music, a love that earned him a full scholarship to the Chicago Musical College at the age of 18. After graduating as a trained baritone, Barthelsen toured the United States and Canada for five years with the Grand Opera Company, later returning to his alma mater to teach voice. It was not until 1932 he decided to devote his entire attention to painting, a talent Berthelsen had pursued for 22 years by this time. In 1910, Berthelsen was encouraged to paint by fellow Scandinavian artist Svend Svendsen, who introduced him to their native painting traditions of rendering snow on canvas. Later, Berthelsen moved to Indianapolis and began painting with an artist who served as his greatest inspiration, Wayman Adams, aiding Berthelsen in perfecting his techniques.
Berthelsen initially gained attention as a pastel artist, later moving to oils as his popularity and confidence grew. In 1920, he moved his residence to an area which would provide Berthelsen with limitless inspiration throughout the remainder of his career·New York City. Central Park, the East River and various landmarks and city streets dominated his canvases. His snow-covered cityscapes earned Berthelsen critical acclaim, and are his most sought compositions, and can be found in various public and private collections.
Canvas: 25" high x 30" wide
Frame: 31" high x 36" wide
Artist's Exhibitions:
Hoosier Salon, Chicago: Erskine Prize, 1928
Hoosier Salon, Indianapolis: Holcombe Prize, 1946
Thurbers Gallery, Chicago
American Watercolor Society
Galleries of the Municipal Art Committee, New York
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, New York
Artist's Museums and Collections:
Hickory Museum of Art, North Carolina
Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis
Indiana University, Bloomington
Kappa Kappa Kappa Art Collection, Indianapolis
Sembrich Memorial, Lake George, New York
Sheldon Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana
The Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Artist's Associations:
Allied Artists of America
American Watercolor Society, New York
Hoosier Salon, Chicago
Salmagundi Club, New York
References:
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 1976, E. Bénézit
Davenport's Art Reference, 1994/95 Edition, R. J. Davenport
Who Was Who in American Art, 1985, Peter Hastings Falk, ed.
1883-1969 · Danish-American
City Hall
Signed "Johann Berthelsen" (lower right)
Oil on canvas
An outstanding impressionist snow scene of New York's city hall by Danish-born artist Johann Henrik Carl Berthelsen. In homage of his Scandinavian heritage, Berthelsen excelled in rendering exquisite landscapes blanketed in fine, white snow. He is best known for works with his beloved New York as the subject, which are often compared to those of the French Impressionist movement, namely Claude Monet.
Born in Copenhagen, Berthelsen was six when he immigrated to the United States. Though he is known best for his painting, his initial passion was for music, a love that earned him a full scholarship to the Chicago Musical College at the age of 18. After graduating as a trained baritone, Barthelsen toured the United States and Canada for five years with the Grand Opera Company, later returning to his alma mater to teach voice. It was not until 1932 he decided to devote his entire attention to painting, a talent Berthelsen had pursued for 22 years by this time. In 1910, Berthelsen was encouraged to paint by fellow Scandinavian artist Svend Svendsen, who introduced him to their native painting traditions of rendering snow on canvas. Later, Berthelsen moved to Indianapolis and began painting with an artist who served as his greatest inspiration, Wayman Adams, aiding Berthelsen in perfecting his techniques.
Berthelsen initially gained attention as a pastel artist, later moving to oils as his popularity and confidence grew. In 1920, he moved his residence to an area which would provide Berthelsen with limitless inspiration throughout the remainder of his career·New York City. Central Park, the East River and various landmarks and city streets dominated his canvases. His snow-covered cityscapes earned Berthelsen critical acclaim, and are his most sought compositions, and can be found in various public and private collections.
Canvas: 25" high x 30" wide
Frame: 31" high x 36" wide
Artist's Exhibitions:
Hoosier Salon, Chicago: Erskine Prize, 1928
Hoosier Salon, Indianapolis: Holcombe Prize, 1946
Thurbers Gallery, Chicago
American Watercolor Society
Galleries of the Municipal Art Committee, New York
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, New York
Artist's Museums and Collections:
Hickory Museum of Art, North Carolina
Indiana State Museum, Indianapolis
Indiana University, Bloomington
Kappa Kappa Kappa Art Collection, Indianapolis
Sembrich Memorial, Lake George, New York
Sheldon Swope Art Museum, Terre Haute, Indiana
The Museum of Texas Tech University, Lubbock
Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Artist's Associations:
Allied Artists of America
American Watercolor Society, New York
Hoosier Salon, Chicago
Salmagundi Club, New York
References:
Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs, 1976, E. Bénézit
Davenport's Art Reference, 1994/95 Edition, R. J. Davenport
Who Was Who in American Art, 1985, Peter Hastings Falk, ed.
