Johan Laurentz Jensen

Johan Laurentz Jensen was born in Gentofte on 8 March 1800, where he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and became part of the modernist group De Tretten (The Thirteen). He emigrated to the U.S. in 1814 and lived in various states before settling in Copenhagen in 1822. He established himself as a successful flower painter, taking 17th-century Dutch flower painting as a starting point. He revived the art in Denmark and experimented with forms and colors, influenced by art nouveau and Japanese art. He also painted some historical and genre scenes, as well as copies of older paintings for the historical collections at Frederiksborg Castle. He was a founder of Den Frie Udstilling, an alternative exhibition venue for avant-garde artists in Copenhagen, and exhibited his work widely in the U.S. and abroad. He died in Copenhagen on 26 March 1856.