Digitaliseret af / Digitised by Danmarks Kunstbibliotek The Danish National Art Library København / Copenhagen For oplysninger om ophavsret og brugerrettigheder, se venligst www.kunstbib.dk For information on copyright and user rights, please consult www.kunstbib.dk D 53.683 The Ehrich Galleries GDlö ilaøtrrø” (Exclusively) Danmarks Kunstbibliotek Examples French SpanS^^ Flemish Dutch PAINTINGS 463 and 465 Fifth Avenue At Fortieth Street N E W YO R K C IT Y Special Attention Given to the Expertising, Restoration and Framing o f “ (®li fHastrrii” EXHIBITION of CONTEMPORARY SCANDINAVIAN ART Held under the auspices of the AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY Introduction and Biographical Notes By CHRISTIAN BRINTON With the collaboration of Director KARL MADSEN Director JENS THUS, and CARL G. LAURIN The American Art Galleries New York December tenth to twenty-fifth inclusive 1912 SCANDINAVIAN ART EXHIBITION Under the Gracious Patronage of HIS MAJESTY GUSTAV V King of Sweden HIS MAJESTY CHRISTIAN X Copyright, 1912 King of Denmark By Christian Brinton [ First Impression HIS MAJESTY HAAKON VII 6,000 Copies King of Norway Held by the American-Scandinavian Society t 1912-1913 in NEW YORK, BUFFALO, TOLEDO, CHICAGO, AND BOSTON Redfield Brothers, Inc. New York INTRODUCTORY NOTE h e A m e r i c a n -Scandinavian So c ie t y was estab­ T lished primarily to cultivate closer relations be­ tween the people of the United States of America and the leading Scandinavian countries, to strengthen the bonds between Scandinavian Americans, and to advance the know­ ledge of Scandinavian culture among the American pub­ lic, particularly among the descendants of Scandinavians. T h e A m e r i c a n -Scandinavian Fo u n d a t io n is an independent institution consisting of a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees, established to hold in trust and admin­ ister an endowment of more than five hundred thousand dollars, given by the late Niels Poulson. T h e F o u n d a t io n , which is working in close sympa­ thy with the Society, being created to promote essentially the same end, has, by granting to the Society a considerable subsidy, made possible the Scandinavian Art Exhibition. The exhibition is remarkable from several points of view. It is one of the few occasions in the history of Scandinavian art that the three countries have united in exhibiting. It is the first time that most of the painters represented, although of international reputation in Europe, have ex­ hibited in the United States, and it comprises, in as far as has been possible, the best work of living artists. The Society and the Foundation have for several years desired to familiarize the American public with the remark- 7 able modern painting of Scandinavia, and have herewith AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY endeavoured to show American Scandinavians, in the most favourable and acceptable manner, the production of the OFFICERS FOR 1912 leading Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian painters. In order to interest the Scandinavian Governments and JOHN A. G A D E ....................................................................President artists in the project, the President of the American-Scandi- REV. FREDERICK L Y N C H .................................... Vice-President navian Society went to Scandinavia during the Spring. HANNA ASTRUP LAR SEN ...................................Acting Secretary Their Majesties, King Gustav V, of Sweden, King Christian REV. W. H. S H O R T ............................................................. Treasurer X, of Denmark, and King Haakon VII, of Norway, H. E. A L M B E R G ...................................................................... Counsel most graciously consented to act as Honourary Patrons, F. W. GREENFIELD ) _ _ r ........ Auditors each of their country’s art; their respective Governments EMIL F. JOHNSON | gave every possible assistance, and the artists themselves joined enthusiastically in the plan. Mr. Christian Brinton accompanied Mr. Gade and proved invaluable in his BOARD OF TRUSTEES capacity as critic and connoisseur. The Society as well as American art lovers further owe a debt of gratitude to LOUIS S. AM ONSON.............................................. Philadelphia, Pa. the brothers, Carl G. and Thorsten Laurin, of Stockholm, PROF. GISLE BOTHNE, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,Minn to Mr. Karl Madsen, Director of the Royal Gallery at MILES M. D A W SO N ...................................New York City, N. Y. Copenhagen, to Mr. Otto Benzon, of Copenhagen, and to PROF. GEORGE T. FLOM . University of Illinois, Urbana, 111. Mr. Jens Thiis, Director of the National Gallery at Christi­ J. D. F R E D E R I K S E N ...................................Little Falls, N. Y. ania, as well as to the numerous generous and patriotic JOHN A. G A D E ........................................ New York City, N. Y. owners of paintings, both at home and abroad, who have JOHN D. H A G E ........................................ New York City, N. Y. gladly loaned from their private collections in order that J. HOVING, M .D............................................New York City, N. Y. many of their countries’ chief artistic treasures might not OVE L A N G E .............................................. New York City, N. Y. be omitted from the exhibition. It is a particular pleasure CARL L O R E N T Z E N ...................................New York City, N. Y. in this connection to mention the names of Mr. Carl Piltz, REV. FREDERICK LYNCH .... New York City, N. Y. of Stockholm, Baron Rosenkrantz, of Rosenholm, Dr. PROF. DAVID NYVALL, Washington State Univ., Seattle, Wash. Alfred Bramsen, of Copenhagen, Mrs. Joseph T. Jones and PROF. A. H. PALMER Yale University, New Haven, Conn. the Albright Art Gallery of Buffalo, Hugo Reisinger Esq., FRODE RAM BUSCH ...................................New York City, N. Y. and Robert W. de Forest Esq., of New York. P. A. REQUE, M .D....................................................Brooklyn, N. Y. The Norwegian portrait painter, Mr. Henrik Lund, REV. W. H. S H O R T ...................................New York City, N. Y. accompanies the paintings on their visit throughout this CONSUL C. A. S M I T H .............................................. Oakland, Cal. country, acting as Artistic Director of the Exhibition. HON. OSCAR M. T O R R IS O N ...................................Chicago, 111. 8 9 AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION OFFICERS FOR 1912 REV. FREDERICK L Y N C H ............................................ President CONSUL-GENERAL CHR. RAVN .............................. Vice-President HENRY GODDARD L E A C H .............................................Secretary REV. W. H. S H O R T ..............................................................Treasurer INTRODUCTION H. E. A L M B E R G ...................................................................... Counsel By CHRISTIAN BRINTON OT the least significant phase of esthetic expression has been the constant endeavour on the one hand to BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE N achieve a fusion of form, line, and colour that shall commend AMERICAN-SCANDINAVIAN FOUNDATION itself as universal in appeal, and on the other to preserve those fundamental factors which may be designated as LOUIS S. AMONSON national in substance. It is a struggle that has been waged SAMUEL T. DUTTON unceasingly throughout the ages, and which repeats itself CHARLES S. HAIGHT alike in the artistic development of every nation and every HAMILTON HOLT individual. The human spirit constantly seeks to voice in ALEXANDER E. JOHNSON expansive fashion the great, typical impressions received JOHN D. HAGE from nature and from life, and yet has at the same time PROF. WM. HOVGAARD been endowed with the precious faculty of interpreting them REV. FREDERICK LYNCH after its own specific manner and largely according to a CONSUL O. H. HAUGAN predetermined plan. If you attempt to deprive the creative PROF. WILLIAM H. SCHOFIELD impulse of its conscious or unconscious universality of PROF. ARTHUR H. PALMER utterance, or of its inherent nationality of accent, you go far CONSUL-GENERAL CHR. RAVN toward destroying its significance, for art, whether pro­ CONSUL CHAS. A. SMITH duced in obscure wayside cottage, simple hut among the REV. WILLIAM H. SHORT hills, or under the prestige of an organized institution, will instinctively seek to widen its outlook and clothe itself in a language for which it has the justification of an inalienable racial heritage. 10 11 a It is to the enduring credit of the leading Scandinavian mark, and still longer before Norway could boast an interest countries that they may be counted among those fortunate in the fine arts— apart, of course, from their most primitive peoples who, despite external influences, have stoutly and elementary application—the Swedes were familiar with guarded their native artistic birthright. Their achieve­ that which was being accomplished abroad, and were wel­ ments in the field of painting, sculpture, architecture, and coming to their shores prominent painters and architects industrial design are refreshingly and unmistakably their from Holland, Germany, France, and Italy. Protected by own. Save in rare and isolated cases they do not speak, the Court and favoured by the nobility, art flourished in and do not attempt to speak, that superficial studio Volapük, approved fashion in Stockholm and certain other of the that facile salon Esperanto, which is so utterly devoid of more important centres. Still, though a great deal has character and vitality. You will remark above all