Johan Vilhelm Gertner

Johan Vilhelm Gertner was a Danish painter, best known for his lifelike portraiture. He was born into a craftsman family in Copenhagen and received drawing lessons from prominent artists such as Martinus Rørbye, Christen Købke and Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg. He travelled extensively in Europe and lived in Dresden, Rome and Paris, where he became known for his portraits of children's books. He also painted portraits of many leading Danish figures, such as Bertel Thorvaldsen, C.W. Eckersberg, King Christian VIII, Carl Christian Hall and Jacob Peter Mynster. He was influenced by the German Romantic style and the emerging techniques of photography. He was appointed professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1850 and received several honors and awards. He died on his 53rd birthday in Copenhagen.