Ludovica Thornam was an accomplished Danish painter of portraits, figures and scenes. During the early part of her career, women were not permitted to attend the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art, so, as such, she trained with Vilhelm Kyhn in Copenhagen and later at the Académie Julian in Paris under Jules Lefebvre. Together with her sister, Emmy, she was one of the first Danish women to make a living from her art. Her style was rooted in tradition with sprinklings of Parisian flair.

Her works are held in numerous public collections.

Exhibited

Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, Paris Salon, Artists' Association.

Public Collections

Københavns Museum, Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Rudersdal Museer, Museum for Kunst & Visuel Kultur in Odense, Statens Museum for Kunst, Vejlemuseern in Vejle.

Timeline

1853

Born in Horsens, Jutland, Denmark, to Ludvig Thornam, a teacher, and Anine Charlotte Frederikke Thornam (nee Norup).

Studied at Horsens Tekniske Skole.

1873-1874

Studied under Vilhelm Kyhn in Copenhagen. Women were not permitted at the Academy.

Studied under Herman Siegumfeldt.

1878

First solo exhibition.
Debuted at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition where she continued to exhibit regularly, missing only two years.

1887

Received a grant from the Ministry of Culture to study at the Académie Julian in Paris under Jules Lefebvre.

Travelled to Rome.

1889

Debuted at the Paris Salon where her works were shown until 1896.

1893-1894

Travelled to Paris and Italy with her sister Emmy who was also an artist. During her time in Paris, she undertook further tuition from Louis Héctor Leroux.

1896

Died in Copenhagen.