The Danish Constituent Assembly

Last updated
The Danish Constituent Assembly
Grundlovgivende rigsforsamling - Constantin Hansen.jpg
Artist Constantin Hansen
Year1860–1864
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions338 cm× 500 cm(133 in× 200 in)
Location Frederiksborg Museum, Copenhagen

The Danish Constituent Assembly (Danish. Den Grundlovsgivende Rigsforsamling) is a monumental oil painting by Constantin Hansen depicting the Danish Constituent Assembly's first meeting on 23 October 1848 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark. The painting was commissioned by merchant and National Liberal politician Afred Hage in 1860 and later donated by his widow to the Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød where it is now on display.

Contents

History

Alfred Hage's homes in Copenhagen and in Stokkerup on the Øresund coast were frequented by writers, artists, politicians and actors. [1] Hage's brother, Hother Hage, himself a politician, introduced him to other National Liberal leaders. Hage made his homes available to political salons and hosted confidential meetings between leading politicians of the time. His niece, Annette Marie Bolette Puggaard, was from 1844 married to Orla Lehmann who was one of the principal writers of the constitution in 1848–49. It was Lehmann who first presented Hage with the idea of commissioning the painting of the founding fathers at Christiansborg Palace. [2] Hage commissioned the painting from Constantin Hansen in 1860. Hansen had previously painted several portraits of Hage and his family.

Monrag og Constantin Hansen: The photograph that Hansen used as a model for his portrail of Monrad DG Monrag og Constantin Hansen.jpg
Monrag og Constantin Hansen: The photograph that Hansen used as a model for his portrail of Monrad

Painting an event that took place 12 years back, Hansen had to rely on old photographs, drawings and even busts in his work with painting the many portraits. The monumental painting was completed in late 1864 or early 1865.

The painting was after its completion installed in Hage's home in the Harsdorff House on Kongens Nytorv. It was from 31 May to 14 June possible for the public to see the painting in his home on the payment of an entrance fee the revenues of which went to weterans of the Second Schleswig War. A total of 2,898 people visited the exhibition over the two week period. [3]

On 11 November 1865, The newspaper Fædrelandet brought an article written by Philip Weilbach about the painting.

The painting hang in Hage's home until his widow donated it to the Danish state. [4]

Description

The perspective Perspektivet i Grundlovgivende rigsforsamling - Constantin Hansen.jpg
The perspective

The painting depicts the Danish Constituent Assembly during its first meeting on 23 October 1848 at the old Christiansborg Palace which was destroyed by fire in 1884. Around 100 of the 154 members of the assembly can be identified in the picture. [2] Lehmann, who is seen in the bottom right corner, gesticulating with his right hand, was not a member of the Assembly. N. F. S. Grundtvig, who also features prominently in the composition, was not elected until a byelection in November and was thus also not present at the meeting. His head is placed in the vanishing point of the picture.

Henrik Nicolai Clausen and Joakim Frederik Schouw can be seen in the bottom left corner of the painting. Prime minister Adam Wilhelm Moltke, representing the "old system# stands in the centre but a little further back. He is faced by Carl Christian Hall who rests his hands on the back of a chair. [5]

Exhibition

In 2018, Frederiksborg Museum arranged an exhibition about the painting. It lasted until 29 August. [2]

Other versions

Constantin Hansen painted a number of sketches and portrait studies before embarking on the final painting. Several of them are now located in Christiansborg Palace. His fourth sketch is in terms of composition almost identical to the final painting. It is now located in the Folketing.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frederick V of Denmark</span> King of Denmark and Norway from 1746 to 1766

Frederick V was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 6 August 1746 until his death in 1766. A member of the House of Oldenburg, he was the son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christen Købke</span> Danish painter

Christen Schiellerup Købke was a Danish painter, and one of the best-known artists from the Golden Age of Danish Painting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constantin Hansen</span> Danish artist (1804–1880)

Carl Christian Constantin Hansen (Constantin Hansen) (3 November 1804 – 29 March 1880) was one of the painters associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting. He was deeply interested in literature and mythology, and inspired by art historian Niels Laurits Høyen, he tried to recreate a national historical painting based on Norse mythology. He painted also many altarpieces and portraits, including the monumental oil painting The Danish Constituent Assembly (Den grundlovgivende Rigsforsamling) between 1861 and 1865.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jørgen Roed</span> Danish painter (1808–1888)

Jørgen Roed,, Danish portrait and genre painter associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting, was born in Ringsted to Peder Jørgensen Roed and wife, Ellen Hansdatter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hendrick Krock</span>

Hendrick Krock was a Danish history painter who, from 1706, was the court painter of Frederick IV as well as his successor Christian VI. Along with Benoit Le Coffre set the tone for history painting in Denmark during the 18th century-1720s, having been influenced by the Italian baroque painting he experienced during his travels. He also played a role in the eventual establishment of an Art Academy in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunsthal Charlottenborg</span> Danish art exhibition gallery

Kunsthal Charlottenborg is an exhibition building in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the official exhibition gallery of the Royal Danish Academy of Art.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henrik Nicolai Clausen</span>

Henrik Nicolai Clausen was a Danish theologian and national liberal politician. He was a member of the National Constitutional Assembly from 1848 to 1849, of the Folketing from 1849 to 1853 and of the Landsting from 1853 to 1863.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambert van Haven</span> Danish-Norwegian architect, master builder, and painter

Lambert van Haven was a Danish-Norwegian architect, master builder and painter. He was born in Bergen, the son of the artist Solomon van Haven who had already succeeded in winning the favour of the Danish-Norwegian monarchy.

The following lists events that happened during 1865 in Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moltke Mansion</span> Historic house in Copenhagen (Denmark)

The Moltke's Mansion is a town mansion on the corner of Bredgade and Dronningens Tværgade in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of several town mansions in Frederiksstaden, although it actually predates the neighbourhood by half a century. It was built for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve between 1700 and 1702 and was originally known as Gyldenløve's Little Mansion. It received its current name in 1842, after it was acquired by Adam Wilhelm Moltke, the first Danish Prime Minister under the Danish constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harsdorff House</span> Historic property in Copenhagen, Denmark

The Harsdorff House is a historic property located on Kongens Nytorv in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built by Caspar Frederik Harsdorff in 1780 and was in the same time to serve as inspiration for the many uneducated master builders of the time. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was based in the building from 1864 to 1923.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casino Theatre (Copenhagen)</span> Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark

The Casino Theatre was a theatre located at Amaliegade 10 in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built as an entertainment venue by Tivoli Gardens-founder Georg Carstensen but was converted into a theatre in 1848. It closed in 1937 and the building was demolished in 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Hage</span> Danish merchant, politician, landowner, patron of the arts and philanthropist

Peter Anton Alfred Hage was a Danish merchant, politician, landowner, patron of the arts and philanthropist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Friedenreich Hage</span> Danish merchant

Christopher Friedenreich Hage, was a Danish merchant on the island of Møn. He was the father of Alfred Hage, Hother Hage, Johannes Dam Hage and Bolette Hage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans Puggaard</span> Danish merchant and shipowner

Hans Puggaard was a Danish merchant and shipowner who founded H. Puggaard & Co. in 1813. The company became a leading wholesaler of grain and was also active in the market for import of goods such as coffee and especially sugar. Puggaard was also an important philanthropist dedicating much of his fortune to social causes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danish Constituent Assembly</span>

The Danish Constituent Assembly is the name given to the 1848 Constitutional assembly at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen that approved the Danish Constitution and formalized the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional democracy. It consisted of members of which 114 were elected by the people, 38 were appointed by the king and the rest were government ministers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johannes Dam Hage</span> Danish journalist

Johannes Dam Hage was founder and editor-in-chief of the Danish republican journal Fædrelandet which had a decisive influence on the establishment in Denmark of a constitutional monarchy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hother Hage</span> Danish politician and lawyer

Edvard Philip Hother Hage was a Danish politician and lawyer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Statue of Ludvig Holberg, Copenhagen</span> Statue of Ludvig Holberg in Copenhagen, Denmark

The statue of Ludvig Holberg by Theobald Stein, together with Herman Wilhelm Bissen's statue of Adam Oehlenschläger, flanks the main entrance to the Royal Danish Theatre on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was created by Stein in conjunction with the inauguration of Vilhelm Dahlerup's new theatre building in 1875. Bissen's statue of Oehlenschläger is from 1861 and was originally located on Sankt Annæ Plads.

Nybøllegård is a 19th-century cottage situated southwest of Stege, on the island of Møn, in southeastern Denmark. It was designed by the architect Gottlieb Bindesbøll for Hother Hage in 1856. It was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places in 1972.

References

  1. "Alfred Hage" (in Danish). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon . Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "En liberalt styret kunstnerisk opgave" (in Danish). Berlingske. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  3. "Kongens Nytorv 3-5". indenforvoldene.lokalavisen.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  4. "Alfred Hages samling, familie og politik". fredensborg.lokalavisen.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  5. "Dansk guldalder 1800-1850". arslonga.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 7 September 2017.