When I was in Denmark, I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Frederiksborg Palace where the Carl Bloch paintings of Christ are housed in this little wood paneled prayer room in the corner of the most beautiful chapel.
I have seen these pictures many, many times in reproduction. But to see them in real life was a treat. One can appreciate the beauty of a famous painting from a book or a still image on the internet, but it isn't until you see them in person that they truly come alive. For instance, I had never really liked Van Gogh before, of course they make you study him at University if you minor in Humanities like I did, but I always felt like I was more of a Dutch Masters kind of person. Then I saw Starry Night in person on a trip to New York City and the way I looked at art was forever changed. The paint is thick and the brush strokes are bold yet peaceful at the same time, and when you look at it in person you can feel the emotion that must have been present while it was being painted. It was awe inspiring for me.
The pictures of Christ's life by Bloch were no different. I think my favorite is the first one shown below (it was very hard to get a good picture in the small room where these paintings reside, so sorry about that), that of Christ's birth. I love how everything surrounding the central figure of the painting is dark and fades in to a kind of aura around Mary and baby Jesus. It looks comforting and inviting to me. Like coming in from a cold winters day to a room warm with firelight and coziness.
I have seen these pictures many, many times in reproduction. But to see them in real life was a treat. One can appreciate the beauty of a famous painting from a book or a still image on the internet, but it isn't until you see them in person that they truly come alive. For instance, I had never really liked Van Gogh before, of course they make you study him at University if you minor in Humanities like I did, but I always felt like I was more of a Dutch Masters kind of person. Then I saw Starry Night in person on a trip to New York City and the way I looked at art was forever changed. The paint is thick and the brush strokes are bold yet peaceful at the same time, and when you look at it in person you can feel the emotion that must have been present while it was being painted. It was awe inspiring for me.
The pictures of Christ's life by Bloch were no different. I think my favorite is the first one shown below (it was very hard to get a good picture in the small room where these paintings reside, so sorry about that), that of Christ's birth. I love how everything surrounding the central figure of the painting is dark and fades in to a kind of aura around Mary and baby Jesus. It looks comforting and inviting to me. Like coming in from a cold winters day to a room warm with firelight and coziness.
From Wikipedia
Carl Heinrich Bloch (May 23, 1834 – February 22, 1890) was a Danish painter.
He was born in Copenhagen and studied with Wilhelm Marstrand at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) there.
He [was then] commissioned to produce 23 paintings for the Chapel at Frederiksborg Palace. These were all scenes from the life of Christ which have become very popular as illustrations. The originals, painted between 1865 and 1879, are still at Frederiksborg Palace.
And just for fun, here are some more pictures from the chapel in general.
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