Godfred Christensen

Biography

After a short time at the Copenhagen Technical College, he enrolled at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and studied there until 1867. He also took lessons from the landscape painter F.C. Kiærskou and, in 1865, was awarded the Neuhausenske Prize for his painting "A Freestanding Beechwood". A trip to Paris in 1869 exposed him to the influence of the Barbizon school. Later, he would be regular guest at the so-called "Den Academy" of Vilhelm Kyhn.

In 1870, the Academy awarded him the "Sødring Encouragement Prize", established in 1862 by the bequest of Frederik Sødring, which he used to pursue his studies in North Zealand. The following year, he received the Neuhausenske Prize again for one of the paintings he produced there: "Landscape with Lush Foreground". This honor resulted in a travel stipend from the Academy that enabled him to visit Germany and Italy, beginning in 1873.

Upon his return in 1875, he held an exhibition of works he had created in Capri and Rome. This was followed by trips to Switzerland and the Pyrenees, where he tried his hand at rendering mountainous landscapes. Later, in Denmark, he would create some small seascapes.

After 1880, he remained in Denmark. In 1881, he became a member of the Academy and, in 1882, married Johanne Louise Sødring, daughter of the actress, Julie Sødring (apparently no relation to Frederik, above). He became a Titular Professor in 1888 and a Knight in the Order of the Dannebrog in 1892.