Knud Larsen

Biography

Born in Vinderød near Frederiksværk, Larsen studied painting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, graduating in 1889. He first exhibited at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in 1887. He adopted a rather conservative but pleasant style which was particularly effective in his landscapes of the Jutland countryside. His use of colour has obviously been influenced by Hans Smidth and Vilhelm Kyhn, especially in his genre works such as Børnene binder kranse with bright Impressionist tones.

He later moved increasingly towards portraiture, becoming one of the most popular portraitists of his day and often working for public and private institutions. His work embraced some of the most popular contemporary figures including Vilhelm Thomsen, Harald Høffding, Axel Helsted, Hans Smidth, L.A. Ring and Theobald Stein.

Awards

In 1898, Larsen was awarded the Eckersberg Medal and in 1901 the Thorvaldsen Medal.