Emil Carlsen : conscious painting

by William Eric Indursky

Today, outside a small group of traditional painters, art historians and dealers, Danish-American Impressionist/Realist painter Søren Emile Carlsen’s (1848-1932) reputation is almost all but forgotten; an extreme contrast to the nearly “rock star” status he once held with the public and his peers during his lifetime. Carlsen was part of the circle of America’s best known painters including William Merritt Chase (1849-1916), Julian Alden Weir (1852-1919), Childe Hassam (1859-1935), and John Henry Twachtman (1853-1902). At his height, Carlsen’s paintings commanded the equivalent of as much as $50,000 per canvas—in today’s money—during the early 20th-century. Perhaps, it was the Dane’s loner demeanor or his obsessive focus on the making of art that aided to his lost reputation with the public. But, it is because of these traits that Carlsen has reached near hero status among today’s traditional painters and collectors.

232 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2017