'Study of a Gray Horse' by Otto Bache, Circa 1910, Rear View, Equine, Danish Realism

Details

Description

Initialed lower left, 'OB' for Otto Bache (Danish, 1839-1927) and painted circa 1910.

Bache began his studies at the age … Read more Initialed lower left, 'OB' for Otto Bache (Danish, 1839-1927) and painted circa 1910.

Bache began his studies at the age of eleven under the painter Wilhelm Marstrand at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Awarded the Academy’s travel grant in 1866, Bache embarked on a “Grand Tour” of the Continent where he was influenced by the currents of Proto-Impressionism in Paris and the old masters in Venice, Florence, Naples, Pompeii, and Rome.

Bache received early recognition as a portrait painter, producing likenesses for Danish nobles, high-ranking military officials and members of the royal family. Also a genre and history painter, his name is especially associated with Frederiksborg Castle and The Museum of National History, which commissioned several works by him.

Becoming a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1880, Bache made a strong impression on younger generations of Danish painters and was elected multiple times as both director and deputy director of the Academy. He was a member of the Gallery Commission from 1896-1899 and was on the board of the National History Museum at Fredicksborg from 1910-1914.

Becoming a member of the Swedish Academy of Arts in 1883, Bache continued to exhibit widely and with success, receiving numerous awards including from exhibitions in Munich (gold medals, 1892), Berlin (1896) and Paris (1889). For his contributions to Denmark, he was named a Commander in the Order of the Dannebrog and awarded the prestigious Dannebrogordenens Hæderstegn (Silver Cross), reserved for those who have given extraordinary service to the development of Danish arts, letters, science. The works of Otto Bache are represented in major public collections, including the The Danish Museum of National History, Statens Museum for Kunst, the Hirschsprung Collection, and the Uffizi (Florence), among others. Otto Bache is well listed in all relevant art reference works including Benezit's definitive Dictionary of Artists, which offers a signature sample.

Reference:
Thieme-Becker Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Künstler von der Antike bis zu Gegenwart, Ulrich Thieme and Felix Becker, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag 1992, Vol. 2, page 311; E. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs, et Graveurs, Jacques Busse, 1999 Nouvelle Édition, Gründ 1911, Vol. 1, page 604; Weilbach, Dansk Kunstnerleksikon, the Castle and Cultural Agency, Copenhagen; et al. See less