Huslig scene i Cervara

Martinus Rørbye prints take you on a journey from Copenhagen to Constantinople. Rørbye was a central figure of the Danish Golden Age and its most traveled painter, visiting Norway, Italy, Greece and Turkey, and he was the first Danish painter to work at Skagen. This collection gathers art prints of his Copenhagen views, sunny Italian squares and loggias, Greek and Turkish street scenes, Norwegian landscapes and his Skagen beaches.

About Martinus Rørbye

Martinus Rørbye was born on 17 May 1803 in Drammen, Norway, to Danish parents who returned to Denmark when he was a boy. In 1820 he entered the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, studying under Christian August Lorentzen and Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg; he became one of Eckersberg's favorite students and took on his careful observation of nature.

He won the Academy's silver medals and, in 1829, the small gold medal, and exhibited at Charlottenborg almost every year from 1824. He traveled twice to Norway, in 1830 and 1832, and in 1833 became the first Danish painter to work at Skagen, half a century before the Skagen Painters made it famous.

In 1834 he set out for the Mediterranean, traveling through Paris, where he met Ingres, to Rome. From Italy he went on to Greece and Constantinople, a rare adventure at the time. Back in Copenhagen he became a professor at the Academy. He returned to Skagen in the summers of 1847 and 1848, and died in Copenhagen on 29 August 1848, leaving his wife and young children.

Style and Subjects

Rørbye combined Eckersberg's precise drawing with a fine feeling for color learned from Lorentzen. His pictures are clear, calm and full of carefully observed detail, often with small figures going about their daily lives.

His subjects follow his travels: Copenhagen streets and buildings, Norwegian fjords and mountains, Italian squares, loggias and monasteries, Greek ruins and Turkish coffeehouses, and the beaches and fishermen of Skagen. He also painted portraits and genre scenes, such as a young clergyman reading.

Famous Works

• View from the Artist's Window (c. 1825), Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. A caged bird and flowers at an open window, with a ship beyond.
• The Prison of Copenhagen (1831), Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. A city street scene with prisoners outside the jail.
• View of the Square in Amalfi (1835), Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. A sunny Italian piazza full of life.
• Greeks Working in the Ruins of the Acropolis. A scene from his journey to Athens.
• A Party of Chess Players outside a Turkish Coffeehouse. A lively street scene from Constantinople.
• View from the Citadel Ramparts in Copenhagen by Moonlight (1839), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A quiet moonlit city view.
• Men of Skagen on a Summer Evening in Fair Weather (1848), Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. Fishermen gathered on the beach, one of his last paintings.

Decorating with Rørbye Prints

Rørbye's sunny Italian and Greek scenes bring warmth and a sense of travel to a living room, dining room or hallway. Their warm stone colors and clear blue skies suit classic and Mediterranean-style interiors.

His Copenhagen and Skagen views suit a Scandinavian-style home, a study or a bedroom with calm, pale colors, and View from the Artist's Window makes a charming picture for a sunny window nook.

FAQ

What art movement was Martinus Rørbye part of?

Rørbye was a central figure of the Golden Age of Danish painting, trained by C.W. Eckersberg.

What is Martinus Rørbye's most famous painting?

View from the Artist's Window (c. 1825), in the Statens Museum for Kunst, is his best-known work. It is often read as a symbol of his longing to travel.

Where can I see Rørbye's original paintings?

The Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen holds the largest group. Others are in the Hirschsprung Collection, the Nivaagaard Museum, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago.

How can you recognize a Martinus Rørbye painting?

Look for clear, precise views with careful perspective, soft natural light and small, lively figures, often in Italian, Greek, Turkish or Danish settings.

Was Rørbye really the first painter at Skagen?

Yes, he was the first Danish painter to work at Skagen, in 1833, almost fifty years before Michael Ancher, Anna Ancher and P.S. Krøyer made the Skagen Painters famous.

Related Artists

• Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg — his teacher and mentor
• Christen Købke — fellow Eckersberg pupil of the Golden Age
• Constantin Hansen — Golden Age painter who also worked in Italy
• Wilhelm Bendz — fellow student in Eckersberg's circle
• Peder Severin Krøyer — later leader of the Skagen Painters