Wenzel Tornøe was an accomplished Danish painter of portraits, scenes, and landscapes.

Born in the picturesque rural idyll of Lehnshøj near Svendborg in Denmark, Tornøe was raised on a farm close to the coastline on the island of Funen. From here, he could explore lakes, forests, and open pasture with views extending across the archipelago. As a boy, he studied initially at Horsen's Latin School before travelling to Copenhagen to enroll at the renowned Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

At the Academy, a firm emphasis was placed upon honing one’s proficiency with a pencil and the young aspirant would’ve spent countless hours sketching classical statues and studying the old masters. Students were instructed in the advanced techniques of figurative work. During his graduation year, 1865, he debuted at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, the foremost art show in Denmark, where he would continue to display works throughout his impressive career.

Examples of his oils during these formative years are few and far between but include an interesting group portrait of his family.

Wenzel Tornøe, Interior With Family (1861)

Twelve years later, inspired by a study trip to Rome, his finesse had improved noticeably. As we see here, in this refined portrait of an Italian girl.

Wenzel Tornøe, Italienerinde (1873)

Indeed, it was Tornøe’s sojourns to Italy that appear to have furnished both his portraits and scenes with richness and spirit. He would return time and again, captivated by its unique charms, and sketch amid the abundant Mediterranean light. He married the artist, Karen Elisabeth Blumer, and perhaps the two travelled together.

During the 1870s, he focused predominantly on genre painting - capturing domestic moments with dexterity and a sense of fine Italian lustre. There’s a three-dimensional quality to his figures with chiaroscuro amplified via intelligent lighting. One such masterpiece, ‘Seamstress, Whitsunday Morning’, from 1882, was successful both aesthetically and emotionally. It highlighted the plight and tireless endeavour of 19th-century seamstresses and was extensively praised by the critics.

Wenzel Tornøe, Seamstress, Whit Sunday Morning (1882)

Over the years, he produced numerous works featuring women in various domestic settings, which were popular with female buyers seeking to fill their homes with art they could relate to.

Genre painting became Tornøe’s raison d'être and he developed a sound reputation with both the Academy and patrons. However, he also produced landscapes, which were a great deal more liberated than his exhibited work. Only a few are viewable via digitised archives but it’s clear that he enjoyed painting en plein air, particularly in Italy. He also worked at Innsbruck in Austria.

He’s represented in numerous public collections including at the Statens Museum for Kunst.

Exhibited

Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, Artists' Association, World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Nordic Art Exhibition in Lübeck.

Public Collections

Statens Museum for Kunst, Randers Art Museum, Hvidbjerg Church, Ribe Art Museum, Bornholm Art Museum.

Timeline

1844

Born in Lehnshøj near Svendborg, Denmark to Jens Wenzel Tornøe, a judge, and Eleonore Jacobine Lacoppidan.

1860-1865

Studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen.

1864

Awarded an Academy silver medal.

1865

Debuted at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition where he continued to exhibit until 1907 missing only three years.

1871-1873

Undertook a study trip to Rome.

1873

Undertook a study trip to Capri.

1876

Married the artist Karen Elisabeth Blumer (Elisabeth Tornøe).

1878-1879

Undertook a study trip to Holland, Belgium, Paris and Northern Italy.

1882

Shown at the Artists' Association.

1886-1887

Undertook a study trip to Rome.

1893

Shown at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

1895

Shown at the Nordic Art Exhibition in Lübeck.

1902

Awarded the Serdin Hansens Prize.

1907

Died in Frederiksborg, Denmark.