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Portrait of the Danish King Christian II

Michael SittowEither 1514 or 1515

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst
Copenhagen, Danmark

The first works of art acquired by the Danish kings were presumably royal portraits. For example, Michel Sittow’s portrait of Christian II undoubtedly belonged to the king himself. This is the first artist of international significance to be featured in the collection. Sittow, who is presumed to have been a student of Hans Memling in Brügge, worked for the leading noble houses of Europe. The portrait reflects a king whose close family ties to the imperial Habsburg court drew in into the centre of European art and culture. On his subsequent travels and exile the king came into direct contact with the cultural centres of Europe. The heritage of Christian II also includes a set of prints by Dürer, who gave the King these prints as a gift in 1521. The prints formed the basis for The Royal Collection of Graphic Arts, which was founded in 1831.

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  • Title: Portrait of the Danish King Christian II
  • Creator: Michel Sittow
  • Creator Lifespan: About 1468 Tallinn - 1525/1526 Tallinn
  • Creator Nationality: Flemish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Tallinn
  • Creator Birth Place: Tallinn
  • Date Created: Either 1514 or 1515
  • Værktekst: De første kunstværker, de danske konger erhvervede, var formodentlig kongelige portrætter. Michel Sittows portræt af Christian 2. har således uden tvivl tilhørt kongen selv. For første gang i samlingens historie møder vi en kunstner af internationalt format. Sittow, der sandsynligvis, var elev af Hans Memling i Brügge, arbejdede for de førende europæiske fyrstehuse. Portrættet afspejler en konge, der med sine tætte familiære forbindelser til det habsburgske kejserhof, blev trukket ind i centrum af europæisk kunstnerisk kultur. Senere på sine udenlandsrejser og i sin landflygtighed kom kongen i direkte kontakt med Europas kulturcentre. Som en del af arvegodset fra Christian 2. regnes tillige et sæt kobberstik af Albrecht Dürer, som kunstneren skænkede som gave til kongen i 1521. Kobberstikkene lagde grunden til Den Kgl. Kobberstiksamling, som blev dannet i 1831.
  • Teknik: Olie på træ
  • Proveniens: Erhvervet før 1690
  • Dansk link: http://www.smk.dk/index.php?id=2613
  • Dansk Titel: Portræt af Christian II (1481-1559)
  • Physical Dimensions: w22 x h31 cm (Without frame)
  • Provenance: Acquired before 1690
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk/en/copyright/creative-commons/
  • Medium: Oil on panel
SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

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