Martinus Rørbye

Nationality: Danish

1803 - 1848

Having studied with Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg from 1820 to 1826, Rørbye was a central figure among the Danish Golden Age painters. A prize in portraiture allowed him to travel extensively, visiting places such as Istanbul and Greece before they became more popular with landscape painters. In Rome, he was a member of the Danish community centered around sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. While he is recognized for his orientalist studies of far-away locations, he is equally renowned for capturing the sites and spirit of his homeland, particularly the northern coast of the Jutland peninsula.

Place of Birth: Drammen
Place of Death: Copenhagen

Text written and researched by Michelle Bird National Gallery of Art, Washington DC.