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Christen Dalsgaard  (October 30, 1824-February 11,
1907), Denmark|Danish painter, was born on the
Krabbesholm estate on the fjord near Skive, and
was son of the estate owner, Jens Dalsgaard.  

== Life ==
=== Childhood years ===
He showed early signs of artistic talent, and
received training as a craft painter. In spring
1841, Niels Rademacher, a visiting landscape
painter, encouraged the young artist and convinced
his parents of their son’s talent.

=== Training as an artist ===
Later that year he traveled to Copenhagen and
began his art studies at the Royal Danish Academy
of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) in
October 1841.  In December 1841 he began private
studies with painter Martinus Rørbye.  These last
until 1847.

In 1843 he began his studies at the Academy’s
freehand drawing school, and the following year at
the Academy’s plaster school.  Home during the
summer and holidays he busied himself by filling
sketchbooks with studies of the local landscape,
costumes and way of life.  These formed a lifelong
basis for his art.  He also began collecting local
folk costumes, another lifelong interest.

In 1844 Dalsgaard cames under the influence of
Niels Lauritz Høyen, art historian, who held a
famous lecture “On the conditions for a
Scandinavian national art’s development” ("Om
betingelserne for en skandinavisk nationalkunsts
udvikling").  Høyen called for artists to search
for subject matter in the folk life of their
country instead of searching for themes in other
lands, such as Italy (which was at that time
considered a requirement for an artist’s
training).  Dalsgaard was a loyal follower of
Højen’s artistic ideals, and forewent the
customary journey to Italy, choosing rather to
concentrate on themes closer to home.

In March 1846 he began at the Academy’s model
school under professors Christoffer Wilhelm
Eckersberg, J. L. Lund og Martinus Rørbye.

He had his exhibition debut at Charlottenborg in
1847, and continued showing there every year with
few exceptions.  

=== An artistic career flourishes ===
In 1855 he painted his first altarpiece at the
church in his hometown of Skive.  He goes on to
paint a number of other altarpieces in the years
to come.

He has his big breakthrough in 1856 with the
painting "Mormoner på besøg hos en tømrer på
landet" ("Mormons visit a country carpenter"). 
The painting, created only 6 years after the
missionary’s arrival in Denmark, is set in the
shadowed interior of a provincial cottage.  A
group of people are gathered around a table,
listening to a missionary’s message.  Light
filters in through a small window and an open
door.  It is a study of contemporary daily life,
carefully depicting the interior and costumes of
the people in detail.  The painting was donated to
the National Museum of Art (Statens Museum for
Kunst) in 1871.

He married Hansine Marie Hansen on August 21,
1857.  The newlyweds purchased a house in
Frederiksberg. Their circle of social
acquaintances included Constantin Hansen, Niels
Lauritz Høyen, Wilhelm Marstrand, P.C. Skovgaard,
Vilhelm Kyhn, Godtfred Rump, Frederik Vermehren og
Julius Exner.

He received the Academy’s Neuhausen's prize
(Neuhausens præmie) in both 1859 and 1861.

He began teaching drawing at Sorø Academy in
1862.

He was selected to become and became a member of
the Academy of Art in 1872.  

He exhibited at the World Exhibition in Paris for
the first time in 1878.

He painted his famous painting "I wonder when he
will come home" (Mon han dog ikke skulle komme?)
in 1879.  This painting is typical of his style. 
The picture features a young woman standing in an
open doorway looking off to one side.  One foot is
on the doorframe, and one foot is on the ground
outside.  The interior is dark and shadowed.  The
outside is a sunlit agrarian landscape.  The title
of the painting refers to her inner dialogue.

In 1890 he finished the first of 21 small Bible
pictures, a project which he continued to work on
for the next ten years.

He was named a professor at the Academy of Art in
1892, and quit his position at Sorø Academy.  

He died on February 11, 1907 in Sorø.

In 1914 the artist’s widow contributed a portion
of his folk costume collection to the National
Museum.  She died in Sorø that same year on
November 3.  The National Museum acquired the
remainder of the folk costume collection in 1921.

== Works ==

Christen Dalsgaard, like his contemporaries Julius
Exner and Frederik Vermehren, painted primarily
genre paintings, Romantic nationalism|national
romantic folk scenes rooted in the grasslands of
Jutland.  He paid great attention to details–
folk costumes, manners and habits of the people,
architecture and landscape.  He was a storyteller.
 His artistic works, as well as those of his
contemporaries helped open the way for more
realistic paintings in the late 1800’s.
A collection of his work can be found at the Skive
Art Museum.  Other paintings can be found, among
other museums at the National Museum of Art.

== See also ==
List of Danish painters