Sigumfelt, Herman

Herman Sigumfelt was born to the family of the farmer Heinrich Anton Sigumfelt ( date: Heinrich Anton Siegumfeldt ) and his wife, nee Schrön ( date: Maren Cathrine, født Schou ), on September 18, 1833 in the small town of Esbönderup , located near Lake ² Esm ^] .

In 1844, at the age of 11, Herman Sigumfelt entered the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the drawing class. In 1847 he moved to the gypsum class, and in 1849 to the model class. Later, his development as an artist was also influenced by Niels Simonsen , from whom Sigumfelt took private lessons. Sigumfelt quickly gained skill and already at the age of 17 he became the owner of a small silver medal. He never reached the big medal. Due to financial difficulties, he could not get a full-fledged education of the artist, and was forced to earn a rough craft. However, he managed to save up some money so that in the winter of 1854-55 he could completely devote himself to art. During this period, he painted the painting “The Boy at the Table with a Cup of Coffee,” which was subsequently acquired by the Kunstforeinin Art Association. In subsequent years, his work was also acquired by the association ^{[1] [2]} .

At the beginning of his career, Sigumfelt chose genre painting for himself as the main theme. He depicted scenes from the lives of peasants of Jutland and Zealand . His paintings were distinguished by reliable colors and a good composition , they were attractive. In addition, his landscape paintings, written by him in 1857-60, occupied a worthy place in the artistic production of that time. On the whole, his work as a genre artist can be considered as similar to the works of Kristen Dalsgor , Frederic Vermeren and Julius Exner , but inferior to them in power. But for a wide audience for a long time Sigumfelt remained little known and he had to experience financial difficulties ^{[1] [2]} .

In 1860, Sigumfelt experienced the most severe shock that fate could have prepared for the artist: while traveling in Sweden, he received a serious injury to his right hand, which greatly complicated his pursuit of painting. To finish the work on the next painting, Sigumfelt had to overcome great efforts. Prospects for a full recovery were not optimistic. More and more often thoughts began to leave to leave painting forever. However, in 1863, after the exposition of the painting “The Sailor Brings the News of the Dead ” ( dated En Sømand bringer Efterretninger om en afdød ) and its subsequent acquisition by the art association, as well as several excellent genre and interior works, the academy encouraged him with a scholarship for an educational trip. This encouraged Sigumfelt. Thanks to this scholarship, he made a two-year journey to Italy through Brussels and Paris - from September 1863 to July 1865. Among the fruits of his trip, the painting “Two Roman Peasants in a Church”, exhibited in 1866, should be mentioned. But then an exacerbation of hand disease occurred. Due to inflammation, the thumb of the right hand had to be amputated, as a result of which he was forced to leave the painting for a long time. Due to the inability to engage in his art, Sigumfelt became depressed and was placed in a psychiatric hospital in 1872. The treatment benefited and three years later he again took up his hand. In 1877, in his works, he showed that after going through difficult years, he became stronger in his art than before. In 1880, Sigumfelt was admitted to the academy. After receiving an order from the exhibition committee, he performed portraits of artists Heinrich Hansen and Wilhelm Kühn , as well as medalist Harald Konradsen. In his later work, Sigumfelt painted mainly portraits. As an example of his best works during this period, it should be noted “The Lady at the Table” ( dates. En Dame ved sit Skrivebord ), written in 1879, as well as a portrait of the manufacturer Stephen Emil Dahl ( dates. Stephen Emil Dahl ), 1887 ( State Museum of Art ) ^[2] .

Genre works and landscapes

• A boy at a table with a cup of coffee, 1855;
• Zeelander peasant woman, 1860 (in the collection of Hirschsprung );
• The sailor brings the news of the deceased, 1861 (sketch at the Weyenne Museum of Art);
• Living room in the Hedebo district, 1862 (in the collection of Johan Hansen);
• The Hermit, 1863 (in the collection of Hirschsprung);
• Landscape from Genazzano, 1865 ^[1] .

Portraits

• Royal Chamber Singer P. Scar, 1874 (Royal Theater);
• Artist Heinrich Hansen, 1878;
• Artist Wilhelm Kühn, 1882;
• The manufacturer of court chronometers Stefan Emil Dahl, 1887 ( State Museum of Art );
• Artist H. Conradsen, 1888 (exhibited in Charlottenborg );
• Writer Paul Frederick Barfod, 1891 ^[1] .

Altar works

• A Woman Washing the Feet of Jesus, 1893 (chapel in Wedelsborg);
• Paul on his way to Damascus, 1897 (St. Paul's Church in Aarhus ) ^[1] .

• Hermann Sigumfelt's works on the Artnet website