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The Family of Christian IX of Denmark

The Family of Christian IX of Denmark is a monumental oil on canvas group portrait painting by Laurits Tuxen of Christian IX of Denmark and his family of European royalty, gathered in the Garden Hall at Fredensborg Palace. The painting is on display in one of the Queen's Reception Rooms at Christiansborg Palace. A reduced copy of the painting hangs in Amalienborg Palace.

The Family of Christian IX of Denmark
Danish: Christian IX med sin familie
ArtistLaurits Tuxen
Year1886 (1886)
Mediumoil on canvas
Dimensions500 cm × 700 cm (200 in × 280 in)

Background

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Christian IX's six children with Queen Louise married into other European royal families, earning him the sobriquet "the father-in-law of Europe". It was for a while a tradition for them to gather at Fredensborg Palace some time during the summer, bringing their spouses and numerous offspring. These summer days spent together were known as the "Fredensborg days".[1]

Production

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The painting was Tuxen's first royal commission. Tuxen stayed at Fredensborg Palace during the Fredensborg Days of1883–86 to familiarize himself with the appearances of the royal models, but they did not pose together for the painting. The painting was instead based on photographs and portrait studies of the models arranged in smaller groups, which were subsequently composed into the final painting. Christian IX and Queen Louise were photographed at Amalienborg Palace, while most of the other royalty were photographed in the garden hall at Fredensborg Palace. He also visited the foreign models at their residences in England, Greece and Russia. It took him three years to complete the painting.[2]

  • Reference photo of Christian IX and Queen Louise 
    Reference photo of Christian IX and Queen Louise
  • Reference photograph of the Russian Imperial couple 
    Reference photograph of the Russian Imperial couple
  • Reference photograph of Empress Maria Feodorovna 
    Reference photograph of Empress Maria Feodorovna

Description

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Christian IX and Queen Louise are seen seated on a sofa in the centre of the picture. The subjects are placed according to rank, the foremost in the front and in the middle of the picture.

People seen in the picture

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The 32 people seen the painting are (moving from left to right):

Exhibition and preliminary works

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The painting is on display in one of the Queen's Reception Rooms at Christiansborg Palace.

Tuxen painted several reduced versions of the painting with some variations. He also painted some portrait studies and other preliminary sketches, some of which were afterwards worked up as proper works in themselves. One of the reduced versions of the painting hangs in Amalienborg Palace. A portrait study of Crown Princess Louise is on display in Sønderborg Castle. It was acquired by the Ny Carlsberg Foundation and presented to the museum in 1939.[3]

Tuxen's painting has also served as an inspiration for Thomas Klugge's group portrait painting of The Family of Margrethe II of Denmark.[4]

  • Reduced version of the painting (notice that Grand Duke Mikhail, in the center of the painting, is in a different position from in the original) 
    Reduced version of the painting (notice that Grand Duke Mikhail, in the center of the painting, is in a different position from in the original)
  • The Russian Imperial couple and their youngest son Mikhail 
    The Russian Imperial couple and their youngest son Mikhail
  • Edward, Prince of Wales, with his wife Princess Alexandra and son Prince Albert Victor 
    Edward, Prince of Wales, with his wife Princess Alexandra and son Prince Albert Victor
  • Crown Princess Louise with one of her children, now in Sønderborg Castle 
    Crown Princess Louise with one of her children, now in Sønderborg Castle

Further reading

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  • Svanholm, Line and Christian Fønss-Lundberg, Thyge: Tuxen. De kongelige billeder (2019)

References

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  1. ^ "HM King Christian IX of Denmark". European Royal History. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Tuxen. De kongelige billeder – ny kunsthistorisk bog fra Frydenlund". kulturkupeen.d (in Danish). Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Christian 9. med familie, 1886" (in Danish). Kongernes Samlinger. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  4. ^ "A new portrait of the royal family" (in Danish). Kongehuset. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
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