Neumann, Otto

Biography in relation to Skagen

Before the First World War Neumann began to come to Skagen, where he depicted nature in oil paintings out at Grenen and also painted portraits.

In 1919 he built a house and studio at the White Lighthouse, thus becoming one of the regular Skagen painters of the younger generation. He took part in the lively interaction between artists that took place at Brøndums Hotel and elsewhere in Skagen in the 1920s and 1930s.

Neumann was surrounded by painters such as Mads Peter Mosbjerg, Ludvig Karsten and Walther Schwartz.

Neumann is known only for his portraits. He specialised in beautiful portrait drawings, executed with great assurance, typically in red chalk. Numerous of them exist both in Denmark and in Sweden, mostly privately owned as they were made to order. These include portraits of the Danish royal family, who were also summer visitors and with whom Neumann was on friendly terms.

From 1939 he lived in Skagen throughout the year.

FYRSTUEVEJ

In 1920, the artist Otto Neumann built the first of the two log houses along the road. He sold it in 1923 to Lieutenant Colonel Rye. In 1927 the merchant Rützebeck from Aalborg built the second log house, which he called "Fyrstuen".

Works in Skagen

• Red chalk drawings: Michael Ancher (1919, Brøndums Hotel, Skagen);

• Degn Brøndum (smst.);

• Ulrik Plesner (smst.);