Christen Købke

Portrait of Adolphine Købke 

 1832

                               




Købke was student of Copenhagen Academy and, from 1828, a pupil of Christoffer Eckersberg, who influenced his style.From 1834, his landscapes acquired a more solemn and emotional quality, inspired by his interest in Caspar David Friedrich's painting.He left for Rome in the summer of 1838; during the journey, he visited Dresden and Munich.In May 1839 he arrived in Naples, and he styaed there until August 1840, copying the Pompeian frescoes in the National Museum.He lived on Capri with his compatriot painter Constantin Hansen.When he returned home, he turned his italian life studies into large-scale paintings.He worked on the interiors of the Thorvaldsen Museum.In 1845 he moved back to Copenhagen, in the ( vain ) hope of being called to the arts academy.Financial problems forced him to start working as a decorator