Henrik Pontoppidan

The Danish author Henrik Pontoppidan grew up in Randers and was training as an engineer when he decided to become an author. He later used his memories of his childhood and youth in one of his best known novels, Lucky Per (1898-1904). He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1917 and is considered to be one of the greatest writers of his day.

Pontoppidan first visited Skagen as early as 1872 together with the painter Johan Rohde (1856-1835) at a time when the artists’ colony was still not fully formed. He returned in July 1883, observing the cheerful artist’s life and the large consumption of alcoholic beverages, from which he distanced himself.

Pontoppidan returned to Skagen in 1889, 1896, 1908 and 1913. In January 1908, when Krøyer painted this portrait for the portrait frieze in the Brøndum’s dining room, he was in Skagen to form part of the guard of honour at Holger Drachmann’s funeral.