Vilhelm Groth

Vilhelm Groth was a Danish painter, best known for his realistic and atmospheric landscapes. 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 influenced by French art. Groth was skilled in capturing the light and mood of nature and rural life, often with a touch of melancholy. He painted scenes from Denmark, Italy, France and Germany, as well as historical and biblical subjects. He was a close friend of the painters Albert Gottschalk, Johannes Larsen and Peter Hansen, and he exhibited his paintings regularly at Den Frie, the artists' association he joined in 1900. He also taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1914 to 1920. He died in Copenhagen at the age of 75.