Hendrick Krock
Encyclopedia
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.
.
In 1693 he traveled to France, and then to Italy, where he stayed for a period of time. According to one of his later students, Krock traveled to Italy in the company of young Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve, King Frederick IV
’s half-brother. He returned to Italy in 1699.
(Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) many years later. The other cosigners were Wilchen Riboldt, Jacob Coning, Otto de Willarts, Georg Saleman and Thomas Quellinus
, all court artists.
He traveled to Italy for the third time in 1703, and worked several years in the studio of Carlo Maratta
, under a travel grant from the King. He may have studied at the Art Academy in Paris ca. 1705.
s, wall panels, door pieces and mythological paintings as decoration for such royal palaces and castles as Frederiksberg
, Fredensborg
, Hirschholm
, Rosenborg
, and Christiansborg
, as well as for various churches. These works were generally large, and with many figures.
He was named royal painter in 1706. He married Helle Cathrine Robring in 1707.
Numerous works were lost to the fires at Christiansborg in 1794 and at Frederiksborg in 1859, including his famous "Dommedag" ("Judgement Day"). Work extant can still be seen on plafonds at Fredensborg and Frederiksberg. Due to the volume of work he produced he maintained a studio with many students and apprentices.
He made only a few portraits, and when depicting royalty or nobility he was known to be assisted by Nicolai Wichmann to complete the heads and faces.
The artist society met weekly until 1712 in the Ahlefeldt house on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen, where Krock taught drawing. That same year Krock received a royal studio behind Børsen
(“The Stock Exchange”) in the Post Office (Postamts) building. Beside his duties as a royal painter, he used the studio to teach drawing, and also as a meeting place for the artist society which he managed and provided with educational materials.
Krock became a well-to-do man, and had an impressive home. His first wife died in 1718.
In 1722 he became an advisor to the Chancellory (Kancelliraad). He remarried on 17 November 1722 to Elisabeth Vilhelmine Magdalene Cumm, but she died a year later. He married his third wife, Armgott Sophie Koefoed, on 26 April 1724.
His position as royal painter was renewed in 1731; at that same time, however when the building of Chirstiansborg had begun, the preferred artistic style was quickly changing from Krock’s baroque to the new rococo
-style. French painters were being called in to do the work, because there were no qualified Danish artists. And therefore, the idea of a Danish Art Academy, which could train native artists to decorate the King’s castles and palaces, became an important royal objective.
In 1731 he painted an altar piece portraying Christ on the Mount of Olives in St. Peter’s Church (Sankt Petri Kirke) in Copenhagen. The work was thoroughly restored in 1995.
His third wife died in 1733.
In the late 1730s plans were beginning to seriously take shape for a royal art academy, and the Academy received rooms in the same building as Krock's studio. In 1738 Krock was named leader of Christian VI’s Art Academy along with sculptor Louis August le Clerc
. Krock, however, died shortly afterwards on 18 November 1738.
Leadership of the burgeoning Academy was taken over by le Clerc and Venetian history painter Hieronimo Miani
after Krock's death.
None of his students or apprentices took over his artistic production.
There is a portrait of Krock by Johann Salomon Wahl in the collection of the Frederiksborg Castle Museum.
History painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...
who, from 1706, was the court painter
Court painter
A court painter was an artist who painted for the members of a royal or noble family, sometimes on a fixed salary and on an exclusive basis where the artist was not supposed to undertake other work. Especially in the late Middle Ages, they were often given the office of valet de chambre...
of Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
as well as his successor Christian VI
Christian VI of Denmark
Christian VI was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746.He was the son of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He married Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and fathered Frederick V.-The reign and personality of Christian VI:To posterity Christian...
. Along with Benoit Le Coffre
Benoît Le Coffre
Benoît Le Coffre was a Danish painter of French descent. He became King Frederick IV's Court Painter in 1700 and is considered the earliest representative of light Rococo painting in Denmark.-Biography:...
set the tone for history painting in Denmark during the 18th century-1720s, having been influenced by the Italian baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
painting he experienced during his travels. He also played a role in the eventual establishment of an Art Academy in Denmark.
Early training
He was born to merchant Valentin Krock and Volborg Peters in Flensborg. At 11 years of age he studied under Johan Ayerschöttel of Husum, a well-known portraitist of the time. He came to Copenhagen in 1688, where he taught drawing, and studied under painter to the royal court Peder Andersen at Frederiksborg PalaceFrederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg castle is a castle in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV, and is now known as The Museum of National History. The current building replaced a previous castle erected by Frederick II, and is the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia...
.
In 1693 he traveled to France, and then to Italy, where he stayed for a period of time. According to one of his later students, Krock traveled to Italy in the company of young Ulrik Christian Gyldenløve, King Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
’s half-brother. He returned to Italy in 1699.
Impetus to an Art Academy
In October 1701 Krock was in Copenhagen again, and on 6 October 1701 he was one of the cosigners of a petition sent to King Frederick IV requesting approval for the formation of an artist society and teaching academy. This was the humble beginning to the formation of the Royal Danish Academy of ArtRoyal Danish Academy of Art
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts has provided a practice-oriented complement to the scholarly investigation of the arts carried out at Danish universities for more than 250 years, playing a crucial part in the development of the distinctive tradition of the art of Denmark.- History :The Royal...
(Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) many years later. The other cosigners were Wilchen Riboldt, Jacob Coning, Otto de Willarts, Georg Saleman and Thomas Quellinus
Thomas Quellinus
Thomas Quellinus , also known, especially in Denmark, as Thomas Qvellinus, was a Flemish baroque sculptor who worked mainly in Copenhagen, Denmark...
, all court artists.
He traveled to Italy for the third time in 1703, and worked several years in the studio of Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta
Carlo Maratta or Maratti was an Italian painter, active mostly in Rome, and known principally for his classicizing paintings executed in a Late Baroque Classical manner. Although he is part of the classical tradition stemming from Raphael, he was not exempt from the influence of Baroque painting...
, under a travel grant from the King. He may have studied at the Art Academy in Paris ca. 1705.
Painter to the court
He returned to Denmark again in 1705, and painted over the remainder of his working life many plafondPlafond
Plafond , in a broad sense, is any ceiling of any premise.Plafond can be product of monumental and decorative painting and sculpture; subject or ornamental – also is designated by the term "Plafond"...
s, wall panels, door pieces and mythological paintings as decoration for such royal palaces and castles as Frederiksberg
Frederiksberg Palace
Frederiksberg Palace is a Baroque residence, located in Frederiksberg, Denmark, adjacent to the Copenhagen Zoo. It commands an impressive view over Frederiksberg Park, originally designed as a palace garden in the Baroque style...
, Fredensborg
Fredensborg Palace
Fredensborg Palace, , is a palace located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It is the Danish Royal Family’s spring and autumn residence, and is often the site of important state visits and events in the Royal Family...
, Hirschholm
Hirschholm Palace
Hirschholm Palace, also known as Hørsholm Palace, was a royal palace located in present-day Hørsholm municipality just north of Copenhagen, Denmark...
, Rosenborg
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle is a renaissance castle located in the centre of Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV's many architectural projects...
, and Christiansborg
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
, as well as for various churches. These works were generally large, and with many figures.
He was named royal painter in 1706. He married Helle Cathrine Robring in 1707.
Numerous works were lost to the fires at Christiansborg in 1794 and at Frederiksborg in 1859, including his famous "Dommedag" ("Judgement Day"). Work extant can still be seen on plafonds at Fredensborg and Frederiksberg. Due to the volume of work he produced he maintained a studio with many students and apprentices.
He made only a few portraits, and when depicting royalty or nobility he was known to be assisted by Nicolai Wichmann to complete the heads and faces.
The artist society met weekly until 1712 in the Ahlefeldt house on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen, where Krock taught drawing. That same year Krock received a royal studio behind Børsen
Børsen
Børsen is a building on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is built by Christian IV in 1619–1640 and is the oldest stock exchange in Denmark...
(“The Stock Exchange”) in the Post Office (Postamts) building. Beside his duties as a royal painter, he used the studio to teach drawing, and also as a meeting place for the artist society which he managed and provided with educational materials.
Krock became a well-to-do man, and had an impressive home. His first wife died in 1718.
In 1722 he became an advisor to the Chancellory (Kancelliraad). He remarried on 17 November 1722 to Elisabeth Vilhelmine Magdalene Cumm, but she died a year later. He married his third wife, Armgott Sophie Koefoed, on 26 April 1724.
His position as royal painter was renewed in 1731; at that same time, however when the building of Chirstiansborg had begun, the preferred artistic style was quickly changing from Krock’s baroque to the new rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
-style. French painters were being called in to do the work, because there were no qualified Danish artists. And therefore, the idea of a Danish Art Academy, which could train native artists to decorate the King’s castles and palaces, became an important royal objective.
In 1731 he painted an altar piece portraying Christ on the Mount of Olives in St. Peter’s Church (Sankt Petri Kirke) in Copenhagen. The work was thoroughly restored in 1995.
His third wife died in 1733.
In the late 1730s plans were beginning to seriously take shape for a royal art academy, and the Academy received rooms in the same building as Krock's studio. In 1738 Krock was named leader of Christian VI’s Art Academy along with sculptor Louis August le Clerc
Louis August le Clerc
Louis August le Clerc , also known as Louis-Augustin le Clerc, was a French-born sculptor working in Denmark. He was born in Metz, France to copperplate engraver Sebastian le Clerc and his wife Charlotte van den Kerckhove...
. Krock, however, died shortly afterwards on 18 November 1738.
Leadership of the burgeoning Academy was taken over by le Clerc and Venetian history painter Hieronimo Miani
Hieronimo Miani
Hieronimo Miani, also known as Hieronymus Miani, was an Italian history painter, who worked in Denmark as both a painter to the royal court of King Christian VI, and as a teacher....
after Krock's death.
None of his students or apprentices took over his artistic production.
There is a portrait of Krock by Johann Salomon Wahl in the collection of the Frederiksborg Castle Museum.