Carl Bloch

Bloch was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and studied there at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) under Wilhelm Marstrand. His parents wanted their son to enter what they considered to be a respectable profession – an officer in the Navy. This, however, was not what he wanted. His only interest was drawing and painting, and he was consumed by the idea of becoming an artist. Bloch went to Italy to study art, passing through the Netherlands, where he became acquainted with the work of Rembrandt, which became a major influence on him.

Bloch's early work featured rural scenes from everyday life. From 1859 to 1866, Bloch lived in Italy, and this period was important for the development of his historical style. His first great success was the exhibition of his 1864 painting Prometheus Unbound in Copenhagen in 1865. After the death of Marstrand, Bloch finished the decoration of the ceremonial hall at the University of Copenhagen. In a New Year's letter from 1866 to Bloch, H. C. Andersen wrote: "What God has arched on solid rock will not be swept away!" Another letter from Andersen declared "Through your art you add a new step to your Jacob-ladder into immortality." In a final ode, from a famous writer to a famous artist, Andersen said "Write on the canvas; write your seal on immortality. Then you will become noble here on earth." Bloch was then commissioned to produce twenty-three paintings for the King's Chapel at Frederiksborg Castle, located in Hillerød. These were all scenes from the life of Christ which have become very popular as illustrations. The originals, painted between 1865 and 1879, are still at Frederiksborg Castle. The altarpieces can be found at Holbæk, Odense, Ugerløse and Copenhagen in Denmark, as well as Löderup, Hörup, and Landskrona in Sweden and Hvalvík in the Faroe Islands.

Bloch met his future wife, Alma Trepka, in Rome, where he married her on 31 May 1868. They were happily married until her early death in 1886. The sorrow over losing his wife weighed heavily on Bloch, and being left alone with their eight children after her death was very difficult for him.

Bloch died of cancer on 22 February 1890. His death came as "an abrupt blow for Nordic art", according to an article by Sophus Michaelis. Michaelis stated that "Denmark has lost the artist that indisputably was the greatest among the living." Kyhn stated in his eulogy at Bloch's funeral that "Bloch stays and lives." Danish art critic, Karl Madsen, stated that Bloch reached higher toward the great heaven of art than all other Danish art up to that date. Madsen also said "If there is an Elysium, where the giant, rich, warm and noble artist souls meet, there Carl Bloch will sit among the noblest of them all!".