Winter in Herstedvester
by Peder Mork Monsted

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Monsted Paintings

Peder Mork Monsted was born on 10th December 1859 near to Grenaa in Denmark. He began his artistic training in Aarhus before travelling to Copenhagen to study at the Academy of Copenhagen from 1875 to 1879. He was much influenced by his teacher Andries Fritz, court painter to Prince Ferdinand of Aarhus. He also studied figure painting under Julius Exner and Niels Simonsen.

Monsted's style developed further in the studio of Peder Severin Kroyer and through a brief period with William Adolphe Bouguereau. Although established in Copenhagen, he travelled throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. His work was frequently exhibited in Charlottenborg and at the Paris and Munich Salons. He is widely recognised for his luminous landscapes often featuring water, which demonstrate an almost photographic quality and supreme technical skill.

Academic Naturalism

Mønsted was born at Balle Mølle near Grenå, Denmark. He was the son of Otto Christian Mønsted and Thora Johanne Petrea Jorgensen. His father was a prosperous shipbuilder. At an early age, he began to receive painting lessons at the art school in Aarhus. From 1875 to 1879, studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts with Niels Simonsen and Julius Exner. In 1878, Mønsted studied under the artist Peder Severin Krøyer. In 1882, he spent some time in Rome and Capri then, the following year, visited Paris, where he worked in the studios of William Adolphe Bouguereau. He gradually developed a personal style of academic naturalism.

Peder Mork Mønsted was a habitual traveller. In 1889, he went to Algeria. Three years later, he travelled to Greece, where he was a guest of King George I who had been born a Danish prince. While there, he also did portraits of the Greek royal family. After that, he visited Egypt and Spain. During his later years, he spent a great deal of time in Switzerland and travelling throughout the Mediterranean. His travels produced numerous sketches that became paintings he presented at several international exhibitions. He was especially popular in Germany, where he held several shows at the Glaspalast in Munich.

It is believed there are as many as 18,000 Monsted paintings crafted during a long career. Most of his works are in private collections. In 1995, a major retrospective, called "Light of the North", was held in Frankfurt am Main

Monsted Paintings

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