August Schiøtt

Biography

His father was a customs official. After his confirmation, he was sent to school in Copenhagen where he later entered the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and had an undistinguished academic record. For a short time, he was a private student of Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. His first portrait (of a child) was created in 1844, two years before his graduation. After that, he painted six to eight portraits every year.

Altogether, he presented over 150 portraits at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, including several of the Royal Family: Caroline Amalie of Augustenburg (three times), Prince Ferdinand, Princess Caroline and Prince (later King) Christian. In addition to these portraits, his most notable include those of Baron Carl Frederik Blixen-Finecke (grandfather-in-law of Karen Blixen), General Gerhard Christoph von Krogh, and the history painter J.L. Lund.

He was married in 1850, but his wife died three years later after they returned from an Academy supported study trip to France, England and Italy. In 1854, he was named a member of the Academy. He remarried in 1855. and, in 1866, became a Titular Professor.

In 1872, he received the "Anckerske Legat"; a grant for composers, writers and artists. This enabled him to visit Southern Europe, Egypt and Palestine where he made numerous sketches of people and landscapes. In 1880, he was awarded the Order of the Dannebrog.

In addition to his portraits, he created numerous figure compositions, such as King Wermund with his son Offa, Christ at Gethsemane and genre scenes of peasant life.

One of his daughters, Elisabeth (1856-1893), studied with P.S. Krøyer and Laurits Tuxen and became a landscape painter. In 1938, an auction of his and his daughter's remaining works was held at the Academy and the proceeds were used to establish a scholarship.