Krøyer, P. S.

Biography in relation to Skagen

P.S. Krøyer, Peder Severin (Søren) Krøyer was born in Stavanger, Norway, but grew up in Denmark with the zoologist Henrik Krøyer, who was married to his mother's sister. In 1872 she adopted Krøyer, who did not receive Danish citizenship until 1889.

A meeting in Vienna with the married couple Anna Ancher and Michael Ancher led him to travel to Skagen for the first time in1882. From then on it was summer in Skagen, and the concept of the Skagen Painters was created with him at its centre.

Krøyer came to Skagen for the first time in the summer of 1882. His enthusiasm for nature, the environment and, above all, the company of other artists meant that he returned almost every summer.

(Read the story about Krøyer's first subject and the conflict it caused.) 

In the spring of 1889, he became engaged to the young art student Marie Triepcke and held a wedding on Krøyer's birthday at his in-laws' home in Germany. The honeymoon and study trip went to Italy and lasted over two years. Marie was also a painter, and despite minor illness, the trip was a great personal and artistic experience for the newly married couple.  

From 1891 Krøyer came to Skagen with his wife Marie. For the first few years, the couple rented Madam Bendsen's house (see Tuxen's Villa "Dagminne") 

(see the picture "At lunch" from Madam Bendsen's house) 

In 1894, they were given permission to rent and convert the old town bailiff's house in Skagen plantation - today known as Krøyer's house. Some of his most exciting paintings were done here, including various motifs of summer evenings at Skagen beach. He also painted a wealth of portraits, making him a prosperous artist.  

The year after 1895 - Marie gave birth to their daughter Vibeke.   

Krøyer was increasingly manic, and this took its toll on those around him (see interpretation of Summer Evening on Skagen South Beach. The Artist and His Wife) 

From the turn of the century, Krøyer struggled with illness and personal sorrows. He was hospitalised several times, and in 1905 he separated from Marie Krøyer, who left him for the Swedish composer Hugo Alfvén. 

In 1906, however, he managed to complete the large Saint John's Flower on Skagen Beach (Skagen Museum), a kind of life frieze with the fire at the centre, in which the painter's young daughter Vibeke appears in the picture with Anna and Michael Ancher, Holger Drachmann, Laurits Tuxen, Marie Krøyer and Hugo Alfvén.

Vibeke stayed with her father in Skagen when Marie and Krøyer divorced in 1905.  

Illness weakened his health and in November 1909 he died at the age of 58. He was buried in Skagen cemetery.

Konflikten mellem Krøyers og Johansens iflg. Lise Svanholm: Damerne på Skagen: 

Marie Krøyer: 

"I 1891 dukkede ægteparret op på Skagen. Den elegante Marie vakte sensation ved sin blotte nærværelse blandt byens indbyggere. Ikke alle var lige begejstrede. Marie mindede om den rige fugl, der kom susende, kom brusende. Skagboerne havde aldrig set noget lignende, når hun kom cyklende i cykelbukser. 

Fra begyndelsen kunne Martha (Johansen) ikke acceptere den smukke Marie i vennernes kreds. Måske stammede hendes modvilje fra den opfattelse, at den forkælede Marie syntes at opnå alt det, hun selv eftertragtede, uden besvær. 

Martha skulle have været årsag til et rygte om, at Marie havde solgt sig til Robert Hirschprung for 200 kr. for at kunne rejse til Paris. Da dette kom Krøyer for øre efter ægteparrets tilbagevenden til Danmark, blev han forbandet og aldeles rasende. Da brast det venskab mellem de to ægtepar Johansen og Krøyer. 

Ufreden mellem Martha og Søren fortsatte i breve en rum tid. Forsoning kom der aldrig ud af hele affæren, for Martha var alt for stejl. I 25 år satte hun ikke sine ben på Skagen, hvor hele hendes fars familie boede. Ikke før Krøyer var død og Marie borte"

Henriette og Martha Møller: 

"... På kun syv år fik Martha seks børn. 

Marthas liv blev ganske hårdt på grund af den store arbejdsbyrde med de mange børn og dertil en elendig økonomi, som ofte følger unge, ukendte kunstnere. Hun blev det faste holdepunkt og den stærke støtte for ægtefælle og børn, som hun fuldstændig ofrede sig for. Med tiden blev hun bitter og stridbar, ofte præget af sygdom.  ...

Det var ikke uden grund, P.S. Krøyer skildrede Martha med ryggen til i sit store maleri "Hip, hip, Hurra" fra 1888. På maleriet sidder hun netop i sin egen verden og tager ikke rigtig del i de andres glæde med løftede champagneglas. Martha holdt sig gerne fra de andre kunstnere. Hun og Viggo boede ude i Vesterby, mens de andre holdt til i Østerby, så det lykkedes den alvorlige Martha at være på afstand af de barnlige og lystige kunstnere.  

... Hun var temmelig uforsonlig, når hun mente, hun selv havde ret og andre uret."

Helene Christensen: 

"Martha Johansen kunne instinktivt ikke lide Marie Krøyer. Dertil kom, at hun fejlagtigt gjorde Marie til syndebuk for bruddet mellem Helene og Krøyer. Nogle uheldige udtalelser om Marie, som Martha skulle have kolporteret rundt i København, hvor familien Johansen nu boede, blev præsenteret for Krøyer, som blev aldeles rasende. Et fjendskab opstod nu mellem familierne Krøyer og Johansen. 

...

Hverken Krøyer eller Ancher vidste noget om det, men Martha mente at vide, at Helene Christensen var blevet gravid. Martha Johansen følte under alle omstændigheder, at Krøyer havde svigtet Hele, da han giftede sig med den smukke og elegante Marie. Hvad der skete med dette ukendt barn, vides ikke. Enten har Helene aborteret, født et dødt barn eller bortadopteret det. Ingen ved noget.  ...

Helene var ikke just elsket af barndomsveninderne, men Martha ville hjælpe hende for gammelt bekendtskabs skyld. Med sin egen hårde tilværelse som baggrund har Martha nok ment, at hun trods alt havde en bedre tilværelse end Helen, og af bar medlidenhed tilbød hun hende ophold. 

The conflict between Krøyers and Johansens according to Lise Svanholm: Damerne på Skagen: 

Marie Krøyer: 

"In 1891 the couple appeared at Skagen. The elegant Marie caused a sensation by her mere presence among the townspeople. Not everyone was equally enthusiastic. Marie was reminiscent of the rich bird that came swooshing, came roaring. The people of Skag had never seen anything like her when she came cycling in her cycling shorts. 

From the beginning, Martha (Johansen) could not accept the beautiful Marie in the circle of friends. Perhaps her reluctance stemmed from the perception that the pampered Marie seemed to achieve everything she coveted without difficulty. 

Martha is said to have been the source of a rumour that Marie had sold herself to Robert Hirschprung for 200 kroner in order to travel to Paris. When this came to Krøyer's attention after the couple's return to Denmark, he was cursed and utterly furious. The friendship between Johansen and Krøyer then broke down. 

The quarrel between Martha and Søren continued in letters for some time. Reconciliation never came out of the whole affair, for Martha was far too obstinate. For 25 years she did not set foot in Skagen, where her father's entire family lived. Not until Krøyer was dead and Marie gone."

Henriette and Martha Møller: 

"... In just seven years, Martha had six children. 

Martha's life became quite hard because of the heavy workload with the many children and in addition a miserable economy, which often follows young, unknown artists. She became the constant and strong support for her husband and children, for whom she sacrificed herself completely. Over time she became bitter and belligerent, often marked by illness.  ...

It was not without reason that P.S. Krøyer depicted Martha with her back turned in his great painting 'Hip, hip, hurrah' from 1888. In the painting, she is sitting in her own world and not really taking part in the joy of others with raised champagne glasses. Martha liked to stay away from the other artists. She and Viggo lived out in Vesterby, while the others stayed in Østerby, so the serious Martha managed to keep her distance from the childlike and cheerful artists.  

... She was rather implacable when she thought herself right and others wrong."

Helene Christensen: 

"Martha Johansen instinctively disliked Marie Krøyer. In addition, she mistakenly made Marie the scapegoat for the break-up between Helene and Krøyer. Some unfortunate statements about Marie, which Martha was supposed to have circulated in Copenhagen, where the Johansen family now lived, were presented to Krøyer, who was furious. An enmity now arose between the Krøyer and Johansen families. 

...

Neither Krøyer nor Ancher knew anything about it, but Martha thought she knew that Helene Christensen had become pregnant. In any case, Martha Johansen felt that Krøyer had betrayed Hele when he married the beautiful and elegant Marie. What happened to this unknown child is not known. Either Helene had an abortion, gave birth to a dead child or adopted it. Nobody knows anything.  ...

Helene was not exactly loved by her childhood friends, but Martha wanted to help her out of old acquaintance. With her own hard life as a backdrop, Martha probably felt that she had a better life than Helen after all, and out of pity she offered her a place to stay.