Johan Rohde

Born in Randers where he matriculated from grammar school in 1875, he first studied medicine before deciding to turn to art and paintings. After studying privately under Wenzel Tornøe, he entered the Academy in 1882. Unhappy with the institution's refusal to accept modern trends, he left less than a year later together with a number of other students. Thereafter he studied at the newly established Kunstnernes Studieskole (Students' School of Study) under Laurits Tuxen and P.S.Krøyer (1883–1886).[2]

Chair designed by Rode in 1898 for Dr. Alfred Pers now on display in the Danish Design Museum

Chair designed by Rode on display in the Danish Design Museum

Rohde first exhibited at Charlottenborg's spring exhibition in 1888 with an everyday scene: En Beværtningshave i Udkanten af København (A Tavern Garden on the Outskirts of Copenhagen). When his paintings were later refused by the Academy, together with those of Vilhelm Hammershøi, Fritz Syberg, Joakim Skovgaard and Julius Paulsen, in 1888 he and Rasmus Christiansen arranged an exhibition of refused works in their studio. In 1890, with J.F. Willumsen, Hammershøi, Harald and Agnes Slott-Møller and Christian Mourier-Petersen, he established Den Frie Udstilling where he exhibited throughout his life.[3]

Rohde travelled widely, not only exhibiting his works, but playing a key role for Danish art until 1914 by following news trends, making new contacts and writing carefully formulated articles in the Danish newspapers. He had eye for works of value, buying a painting by Van Gogh in Paris in 1892 (now in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.[3] He also arranged an exhibition of Van Gogh's works in Den Frie in 1893. His own works from the 1890s are influenced by Symbolism, especially his portraits.[4]

Rohde also played an important part in the development of Danish craftsmanship with his high-quality silver designs (for Georg Jensen as well as furniture in both classical and Japanese styles.[4]

Rohde found his way into the applied artys when he began designing furniture and silver for his own home. These were produced by some of the leading Danish workshops of his time. In 1906, he thus commissioned Georg Jensen to execute some silver based on jis own drawings. Impressed with what he saw, Jensen then commissioned Rohde to create some designs for his workshop. Rohde was initially also working with other silvermsiths until Jensen secured an exclusive contract with him him in 1914. Among his most significant designs for Georg Jensen are the Acorn (Konge, 1915) and Schroll (Sagam 1927) flatware patterns and the Cosmos yea and coffe service (1915).

He was the father of Gabriele Rohde, a League of Nations official in the 1930s and, during the Second World War, a member of the Danish Council (Det danske Råd) in London.

In 1934, Rohde was awarded the Thorvaldsen Medal.

• 
  View Outside Agrigento
• 
  The Grand Canal in Venice
• 
  Naked Young Archers
• 
  Henrik Pontoppidan
• 
  Johan Rohde: Quiet Evening in the Harbor at Hoorn, 1893. The Hirschsprung Collection, Copenhagen
• 
  Johan Rohde: Selv-portrait, 1890. The Hirschsprung Collection, Copenhagen

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Johan Rohde.

• ArtNet: More works by Rohde, including furniture and silverware.