(b Rønne, 31 March 1843; d Frederiksberg, 22 June 1917). Danish painter. He studied in Copenhagen at the Kongelige Akademi for de Skønne Kunster in 1864–8 under Wilhelm Marstrand, Jørgen Roed, Niels Simonsen (1807–1885) and Frederik Vermehren. He worked as a teacher and as Head of the Kunstnernes Studieskoler (Free Arts Schools) in Copenhagen from 1885 to 1908. His works can be divided roughly into history and genre paintings. From the outset he was attracted to the great figures of 17th-century Danish history, especially Princess Eleanor Christine, whose autobiography Jammers-Minde [Memory of woe], first published in 1869 (Eng. trans. as The Memoirs of Leonora Christina, London, 1872), provided Zahrtmann with subject-matter for 18 large paintings (1870–1916). The Princess fell from grace because of her husband’s alleged high treason and was imprisoned for 22 years. In Eleanor Christine is Undressed and Searched by the Servants of Queen Sofie Amalie (3 versions: 1884–6, Copenhagen, Stat. Mus. Kst; 1884–94, priv. col.; 1887–8, Copenhagen, Hirschsprungske Saml.) he experimented with light effects in the manner of the Utrecht Caravaggisti, possibly inspired by Gerrit van Honthorst’s portrayal of the Princess (1647; Hillerød, Frederiksborg Slot). When Zahrtmann first visited Italy (1875–8) he concentrated on genre painting, using ripe and heavy local colour to develop a personal style, which was often criticized for being over gaudy. Although the narratives of his pictures are imaginary, he never painted without a model, which often makes his compositions overcrowded. His portraits are among his best works; the Self-portrait of 1913 (Copenhagen, Charlottenborg) displays his gift for the broad, monumental figure style. As a teacher he influenced a whole generation of Scandinavian painters, most notably the ‘Funen Painters’ (‘Fynboerne’): Peter Hansen, Johannes Larsen, Fritz Syberg, Karl Oskar Isaksson and Edvard Weie.

• Zahrtmann, (Peder Henrik) Kristian
  • Hjorth, Lauritz Adolph
  • groups and movements
    • Frie Udstilling
    • Krøyer, P. S., §1: Training, travels and early work, to 1881
  • patrons and collectors
    • Hirschsprung, Heinrich
  • pupils
    • Denmark, §III, 3: Painting and graphic arts, after 1840
    • Adrian-Nilsson, Gösta
      • Adrian-Nilsson, Gösta
    • Christiansen, Poul S(imon)
      • Christiansen, Poul S.
    • Egedius, Halfdan
      • Egedius, Halfdan
    • Eiebakke, August
      • Eiebakke, August
    • Erichsen, Thorvald
      • Erichsen, Thorvald
    • Find, Ludvig (Frederik)
      • Find, Ludvig
    • Giersing, Harald
      • Giersing, Harald
    • Isakson, Karl (Oskar)
      • Isakson, Karl
    • Larsen Stevns, Niels
      • Larsen Stevns, Niels
    • Nielsen, Ejnar (August)
      • Nielsen, Ejnar
    • Scharff, (Niels) William
      • Scharff, William
    • Sohlberg, Harald Oskar
      • Sohlberg, Harald Oskar
    • Sørensen, Henrik (Ingvar)
      • Sørensen, Henrik
    • Stefánsson, Jón
      • Stefánsson, Jón
    • Swane, Sigurd
      • Swane, Sigurd
    • Syberg, Fritz (Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich), Baron von
      • Syberg, Fritz
    • Weie, (Viggo Thorvald) Edvard
      • Weie, Edvard