Johan Rohde

Johan Rohde studied at Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Training under Frederik Rohde, Wenzel Tornøe and Peder Severin Krøyer is recorded. Hans Jespersen Koefoed, Oluf Høst and Hans Deuvs are recorded as having studied under Johan Rohde. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are portrait. Places of work recorded in the authority are Hoorn. Works named in the authority record are Quiet Evening in the Harbor at Hoorn. Work by Johan Rohde is recorded in the collections of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Minneapolis Institute of Art, National Gallery of Victoria, Nationalmuseum and Art Institute of Chicago. Distinctions recorded are Thorvaldsen Medal.

• Birth Name — Johan Gudmann Rohde • Born — 1 November 1856 • Died — 18 February 1935 • Education — Kunstnernes Studieskole • Known for — Painting, lithographyand design • Awards — Thorvaldsen Medal

Rhode was born on 1 November 1856 in Randers, the son of merchant Hermann Peter Rohde (1827–97) and Ane Marie Schmidt (1832–1915). He matriculated from grammar school in 1875 and first studied medicine before deciding to turn to art and painting. After studying privately under Wenzel Tornøe, he entered the Academy in 1882. Unhappy with the institution's refusal to accept modern trends, he left less than a year later together with a number of other students. Thereafter he studied at the newly established Kunstnernes Studieskole (Students' School of Study) under Laurits Tuxen and P.S.Krøyer (1883–1886).

Rohde first exhibited at Charlottenborg's spring exhibition in 1888 with an everyday scene: En Beværtningshave i Udkanten af København (A Tavern Garden on the Outskirts of Copenhagen). When his paintings were later refused by the Academy, together with those of Vilhelm Hammershøi, Fritz Syberg, Joakim Skovgaard and Julius Paulsen, in 1888 he and Rasmus Christiansen arranged an exhibition of refused works in their studio. In 1890, with J.F. Willumsen, Hammershøi, Harald and Agnes Slott-Møller and Christian Mourier-Petersen, he established Den Frie Udstilling where he exhibited throughout his life. Rohde travelled widely, not only exhibiting his works, but playing a key role for Danish art until 1914 by following news trends, making new contacts and writing carefully formulated articles in the Danish newspapers. He had eye for works of value, buying a painting by Van Gogh in Paris in 1892 (now in the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. He also arranged an exhibition of Van Gogh's works in Den Frie in 1893. His own works from the 1890s are influenced by Symbolism, especially his portraits.

Rohde also played an important part in the development of Danish craftsmanship with his high-quality silver designs (for Georg Jensen as well as furniture in both classical and Japanese styles. Rohde found his way into the applied artys when he began designing furniture and silver for his own home. These were produced by some of the leading Danish workshops of his time. In 1906, he thus commissioned Georg Jensen to execute some silver based on jis own drawings. Impressed with what he saw, Jensen then commissioned Rohde to create some designs for his workshop. Rohde was initially also working with other silvermsiths until Jensen secured an exclusive contract with him in 1914. Among his most significant designs for Georg Jensen are the Acorn (Konge, 1915) and Schroll (Sagam 1927) flatware patterns and the Cosmos yea and coffee service (1915). • Illustration — Chair designed by Rode in 1898 for Dr. Alfred Pers now on display in the Danish Design Museum • Illustration — Chair designed by Rode on display in the Danish Design Museum.

Rhode's first silver designs were some spoons executed by Mogens Ballin in 1903. His first designs for Georg Jensen were created in 1906 and developed into a life-ling collaboration from 1908, although it was not contractually formalized until 1917. His work comprised cutlery and hollowware. It included the popular Acorn pattern for Georg Jensen. • Illustration — Georg Jensen - Acorn pattern tea ball. • Illustration — Rhode desig. • Illustration — Coffee set by Rhode.

Rohde married on 18 October 1903 in St. Andrew's Church in Copenhagen cand.mag. Asa Zøylner (1874-1960), daughter of businessman Johannes Henrik Emil Zøylner. (1838–1921) and Harriet Clausen (1842–1922). He was the father of the League of Nations official Gabriele Rohde and civil servant and director of the Royal Danish Theatre Henning Rohde.