Silhouettes in the form of cut or painted profile portraits were extremely popular in the last part of the 18th century and in the first half of the 19th century until the photographs took over. On these pages some major masters in Scandinavia will be presented, including a guide to identification of portrayed persons and time of silhouettes.
All but a few pages in this section are in Danish.
The history of silhouettes, mainly in a Danish perspective.
Some of the great masters working in Denmark, Norway and Schleswig-Holstein are
mentioned together with their respective "signatures".
Read more (in Danish) ..
"Premier silhouetteur" Schmitz was born in Bonn, but spent
most of his traveling in Denmark and Norway. He was a brilliant artist and portrayed more
Danes and Norwegians than any other of his time. A number of his silhouettes are on display
as well as a detailed walk-through of his whereabouts.
Read more (in English) ..
"Royal silhouetteur" Greve was among the early masters in Denmark
and the first to introduce silhouettes to Norway.
Read more (in Danish) ..
Silhouettes are not nearly as anonymous as they look. With just a little prior
knowledge it is often possible to identify the portrayed persons, the time and place and the master.
Read more (in Danish) ..
I am searching for old paper cut silhouettes, in particular those
cut by Franz Liborius Schmitz. Schleswig-Holstein and other parts of Germany is a
specific focus area.
Read more (in English) ..
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