A magic trip to Skagen
Trip Start
Jun 11, 2011
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31
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Trip End
Sep 21, 2011
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Skagen, Jutland, Denmark
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Skagen is a holiday magnet with its old-world yellow lime-washed houses and red tile roofs. Beaches of white sand are close
and all manner of fish can be bought at the harbour - smoked herrings, prawns, crabs - if you can fight your way past the opulent luxury boats and over-flowing restaurants in the old boat sheds and packing houses.
We headed straight for the tip of Denmark, Grenen (The Branch), where Kattegat and Skagerak meet. A magical place (once you have fought your way into a legal car park) of white sand and sand dunes, quite unspoilt. We walked along the beach but a tractor train is also available. The number of people were unbelievable but somehow it did not really matter. Lots of photographs of the meeting of the seas.
An artist colony flourished in Skagen in the latter part of the 19th century, attracted by the light and the company of other artists who broke with the mold of painting nature in their studios from sketches done in the outdoors. These painters took their easels and oils with them into nature and painted directly on the canvas. These painters came to be known as Skagensmalerne, ‘The Skagen Painters.’ Their work was highly acclaimed during their lifetime. As a result, an art museum was established already in 1910 with one of the premier artists, Michael Ancher, on the museum committee. Several of these artists’ homes were also preserved. Today we can visit the purpose-built Skagens Museum, Michael and Anna Ancher’s home and that of Holger Drachmann.
We headed first to Skagen’s Museum to have a good look around before a guided tour at 6pm. How amazing it all was! Iconic paintings I had not seen for 40 years, when I had been on a study trip with the University of Copenhagen, where I studied history of fine art. To my amazement I immediately recognised a fellow student from 40 years ago, Peter Michael. He was there to look at a special exhibition of works in private ownership as a reviewer for a major Danish newspaper. Lovely to see him again, especially in that context. We asked him to join us at Drachmann’s house for an evening of stories, music and poetry.
The museum first began at the hotel opposite, Brøndum’s Hotel, where the artists frequently met and also the childhood home of Anna Ancher. They began to decorate the dining room with portraits of all the artists who
