Erik Henningsen was an accomplished Danish painter of genre scenes, interiors, portraits and landscapes.
Henningsen had a gift for reportage, capturing everyday scenes with a masterful array of brushwork. With little embellishment or romantic sentiment, his observations are a window into the soul - more akin to documentary photography than traditional genre painting. Upon absorbing his work, you become an eyewitness to a story as it unfolds in your mind. The characters are familiar, yet it’s not a play or drama - simply the intricate nature of life skilfully captured in technicolour.
Born in Copenhagen, he initially studied at Christian Vilhelm Nielsen's drawing school before enrolling at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. By the age of 22, he was showing works at the foremost exhibition in Denmark, the Charlottenborg Spring. From here, he developed a reputation for both portraiture and scenes, exhibiting at numerous European venues and winning several accolades.
Storytelling
He painted Denmark through the eyes of a storyteller and behind every scene, there are questions to consider. He was criticised at times for his more sombre offerings, such as ‘Morning in the Courtyard of the Adressecontoir, Copenhagen’ (1881) and ‘An Injured Worker’ (1895). Yet, when considered as journalistic, these become powerful snapshots of important recorded events.
Erik Henningsen, Morning in the Courtyard of the Adressecontoir, Copenhagen (1881)
Erik Henningsen, An Injured Worker (1895)
In ‘The Dance Pavilion’ (1891), a more jovial undertaking, we’re reminded of Renoir’s ‘Luncheon of the Boating Party’ from ten years earlier. But rather than a decorative array of flirty fashionistas, he brings us a gathering of red-faced gents, endeavouring to sway in time. It reveals a great deal about his sideways glances at modern Danish society, which are at times, almost satirical.
Erik Henningsen, The Dance Pavilion (1891)
His masterpiece, ‘The Morning Ride, At Copenhagen’ works on two levels. A beautiful couple, desperately in love, cycle alongside each other - his right hand resting on her shoulder as she looks back endearingly. Yet beyond, we see the realities of an industrialised city with its chimneys puncturing a bright Nordic sky. The smoke is just a moment away.
The Morning Ride, At Copenhagen
Around the turn of the century, his brushwork became a little looser with short dabbed marks accompanying his usual repertoire. His approach in his later years would be classed as ‘naturalism’, yet at times, it feels closer to impressionism. He continued to work into his seventies.
Erik Henningsen is represented at the Hirschsprung Collection and the Statens Museum for Kunst. His older brother was the artist Frants Henningsen (1850-1908).
Exhibited
Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, Vienna, Exposition Universelle in Paris, Munich.
Public Collections
The Hirschsprung Collection, Statens Museum for Kunst.
1855
Born in Copenhagen to Frants Christian Ludvig Henningsen, a grocer, and Hilda Christine Charlotte Henningsen (born Schou).
Apprenticed to A Hellesen.
Studied at Christian Vilhelm Nielsen's drawing school.
1873
Enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
1877
Sought work as an illustrator while continuing his development as a painter.
1879
Debuted at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition where he exhibited until his death.
1882
Shown in Vienna.
1886
Married Mary Henriette de Dompierre de Jonquières in Copenhagen.
1889 & 1890
Won the Royal Academy’s Eckersberg Medal.
1889
Shown at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.
1891
Received an Honourable Mention in Berlin.
1892
Received a gold medal in Munich.
Travelled to Germany, Italy, France and Holland.
1893
Became a Member of the Academy Council.
Shown at the Glass Palace in Munich.
1930
Died in Copenhagen.