15 Works, June 22nd. is Ditlev Blunck's day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #169

Ditlev Blunck

Nightmare, c. 1846

Oil on canvas

62 x 49 cm.

Museum: Nivaagaards Malerisamling

Sex, euphoria and even life and death are all cast alongside one another in this nightmarish painting from 1846. A messy room is illuminated by the first morning rays of light. The clock hands show that it is past six in the morning and a four-poster bed’s dressing has become a stage curtain framing the piquant drama unfolding in this scene. A demonic incubi with the head of a hare, torso of a man and backside of a cat has entered through an open window and now sits on the lap of a young woman in deep slumber. The incubi has used one of its paws to pull down her white, see-through nightdress, revealing one of her breasts. The woman, still dreaming, does not exhibit any fear or distress at the presence of the grotesque creature. On the contrary; with her closed eyes, half-parted lips and relaxed body, she appears to be in a state of sensuous pleasure. Aroused, while not aroused from her deep slumber. More on this painting

Ditlev Conrad Blunck (22 June 1798 – 7 January 1853) was a Danish-German painter associated with the Danish Golden Age during the first half of the 19th century.

Blunck was born in 1798 in Münsterdorf in Holstein, at that time a duchy with a largely German-speaking populace ruled by Denmark. In 1814 he began his studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen. Presumably dissatisfied with the Danish Academy, Blunck moved in 1818 to Munich and enrolled at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. He studied in Bavaria for two years before returning to Copenhagen.

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Trio, c. 1838-1840

Oil on canvas

Height: 56.5 cm, width: 46 cm

 Museumsverband Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg

Back in Denmark, Blunck became a student of the recently appointed J. L. Lund, a Romantic historical painter who was to become a major influence on his development. Thus, it was also mostly history painting that marked Blunck's early work. Later, through genre painting, Blunck became representative of the kind of everyday realism that was to appear in Danish art in the mid-1820s.

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Christian IV's Vision at Rothenburg Castle, c. 1823

Oil on canvas

124 x 100 cm

Statens Museum for Kunst

Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 to 1648. His reign of 59 years, 331 days is the longest of Danish monarchs, and of all Scandinavian monarchies. 

While staying at the castle of Rothenburg in December 1625 Christian had had a vision during his morning prayer 

Christian IV claimed to have had a vision at the castle Rothenberg in Germany during the Low Saxon War, while he was praying.  He saw the  tormented Christ being harassed and tormented by a mob.

The vision was later explained as a sign that the king, in the manner of Christ, had fought a just cause against the evil of man and suffered a defeat.. More on Christian IV

Lund's influence grew particularly clear during Blunck's stay in Germany beginning in 1828. In Berlin, Munich, and Dresden, he became acquainted with Lund's artist-friends, including the famed Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich. He was, however, more influenced by the works of Johann Friedrich Overbeck in changing his artistic direction. Blunck began to devote himself to religious motifs and developed a painting style that was strongly influenced by the Nazarene movement, unusual among Danish painters.

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Death of Abel, c. 1832

Oil on canvas

95 x 114 (117 x 136) cm.

Private collection

According to the Book of Genesis, Adam´s sons each made offerings to the Lord, who was pleased with Abel´s but not with Cain´s. Jealous of his brother, Cain slew Abel, suffering the ire of God and banishment. As tradition has it, Abel was beat to death with the jawbone of an ass. More on Death of Abel

Death of Abel in the moment after the murder occurred …'. The scene of the murdered Abel with his head resting on the altar stone, while the smoke from the sacrifice rises to heaven. His faithful dog scratches its paw on the corpse's hand, while in the background, brother Cain is seen fleeing in despair, hiding his face in his hands. Under the rocks, the fires of hell can be seen burning. More on this painting

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Draft of the painting "Noah in the Ark", c. 1835

Oil on canvas

Height: 229 mm (9 in); Width: 310 mm (12.2 in)

Statens Museum for Kunst  

Ditlev Blunck

Noah and his family in the Ark, c. 1835

Oil on canvas

69,3 x 90,2 cm

Thorvaldsens Museum, Copenhagen

The painting represents the 600-year-old Noah together with his family: his wife, their sons Ham, Shem and Japheth, their daughters-in-law and a grandson. Of all the animals that God had commanded him to gather, we here see the dogs, the cats and, in stalls, the camels and elephants. After forty days of flood, the Ark has now gone aground and the dove that Noah had dispatched through the shutter at the top left has returned with a fresh olive leaf – the sign that the Flood is finally receding. More on this painting

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

The Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel, c. 1830

Oil on canvas

150 x 199 cm

Statens Museum for Kunst

Ezekiel is the central protagonist of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible.

In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Ezekiel is acknowledged as a Hebrew prophet. In Judaism and Christianity, he is also viewed as the 6th-century BCE author of the Book of Ezekiel, which reveals prophecies regarding the destruction of Jerusalem, and the restoration to the land of Israel. More on Ezekiel

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Washing of feet, c. 1831

Oil on canvas

Height: 30.5 cm (12 in); Width: 46.5 cm (18.3 in)

Flensburg Museum of Applied Arts

Foot washing, also called washing of feet, a religious rite practiced by the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church on Maundy Thursday of Holy Week and by members of some other Christian churches in their worship services.

The early Christian church introduced the custom to imitate the humility and selfless love of Jesus, who washed the feet of the Twelve Apostles at the Last Supper, the night before his Crucifixion. The practice of foot washing was originally an act of hospitality in Palestinian homes, performed for guests, who wore sandals and walked on dusty roads, by a servant or the wife of the host. More on washing of feet

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Allegory of Sunday, c. 1841

Oil on canvas

 121 x 100 cm (47.6 x 39.3 in)

Private collection

The holy Sunday duty is staged in front of the transcendent blue sky with the three graceful angels: on the left, sword, pick and spade rest with a very fine spider web, the praise of God in music and prayer is illustrated by the attributes of the two other angels.

On the occasion of Christian VIII's coronation in 1840, Blunck contributed a watercolor, a first version of the Allegory of Sunday (HM Dronningens Håndbibliotek, Amalienborg, Copenhagen, cf. Karin Bechmann. More on this painting

Blunck's sojourns abroad also brought him repeatedly to Rome. Here, he joined the group of Danish artists around Bertel Thorvaldsen and produced several of his major paintings, including Danish Artists in the Roman Inn La Gensola (1837) (See below).

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Danish Artists in the Roman Inn La Gensola, c. 1837

Oil on canvas

The Museum of National History, Denmark

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

A scene from Rome with boys smoking tobacco, c. between 1816 and 1854

Oil on canvas

Height: 58 cm (22.8 in); Width: 47 cm (18.5 in)

Private collection

The boys take a smoking break in the shadow of the Arch of Constantine in Rome, in the background the setting sun casts its glow on Monte Celio with the church SS. Giovanni and Paolo. More on this painting

In 1841, he was expelled from Denmark due to homosexual acts. As a result, he left the country, and he even took up arms against Denmark in the First Schleswig War (1848-1852). Despite being persona non grata in Denmark, he was commissioned by King Christian VIII of Denmark to paint the four-part cycle "The Ages of Man" for the Royal Painting Collection. More on Ditlev Blunck

Ditlev Blunck  (Danish, 1798-06-22 - 1854-01-07)

Infancy. From the series: The Four Ages of Man, c. 1840-1845

Oil on canvas

142 x 174.5 cm

Statens Museum for Kunst

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Youth. From the series: The Four Ages of Man, c. from 1840 until 1845

Oil on canvas

141 x 167 cm

Statens Museum for Kunst 

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Manhood. From the series: The Four Ages of Man, c. from 1840 until 1845

Oil on canvas

141 x 167 cm

Statens Museum for Kunst 

Ditlev Blunck  (1798–1853)

Old Age. From the series: The Four Ages of Man, c. from 1840 until 1845

Oil on canvas

141 x 167 cm

Statens Museum for Kunst 

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