Bernhard Middelboe

Bernhard Ulrik Middelboe (31 March 1850 – 12 November 1931) was a Danish painter, reproduction technician, and director. He was the brother of naval officer Christian Giørtz Middelboe, and the father of footballers Kristian, Einar, and Nils Middelboe.

Early life He was the son of customs treasurer, justice councilor Christian Middelboe (1805–1887) and Caroline Christiane Giörtz (1831–1875). He was also the grandson of naval officer Bernhard Middelboe.

Painting career In 1867, the 17-year-old Middelboe learned bricklaying in Aalborg with master mason Prahl (probably Samuel Johan Tycho Brahe Prahl (1834–1880), but after drawing with C. V. Nielsen, he was admitted to the Academy of Arts in October, from which he only left when he retired as a painter in 1876. One year earlier, Middelboe had already debuted at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition with a historical genre picture, says goodbye to Christian II after leaving the letter of resignation in his glove.

With this work, Middelboe competed unsuccessfully for the in 1875, but in 1877 he won the prize for the painting Ewald's Last Day. He made over 20 paintings.

Personal life He married on 1 June 1880 in Copenhagen to Hilda Horndahl (21 October 1852 – 26 March 1924), daughter of ship captain Hans Nilsson Horndahl (1820–1859) and Mathilda Hoberg (1822–1879).

In 1880, he and his wife moved to Brunnby at Scania, where they lived for a dozen years until 1891. but continued to cultivate the art of painting as he painted and exhibited a number of portraits, one of which, the marine painter , was commissioned by the exhibition committee. Among other portraits, one of Count Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg can be mentioned. Since 2019 the record price for this artist at auction is 2,257 dollars for De første sommergæster, sold at Bruun Rasmussen Bredgade in 2022.

Works Paintings Mogens Munk says goodbye to Christian II after leaving the letter of resignation in his glove (1875) Ewald's Last Days (1877, Neuhausen Prize) From Montmartre (sketch, 1877) A Woman Spinning, Brittany (ex. 1879) After the ballet (ex. 1879) Visiting the grandmother, Scania (ex. 1880) Head of a fishing girl from Arild (1884) Potato Digging (1884) Garden at the artist's farm in Flundarp (1886) Wife collects firewood (Foreningen Fremtidens auktion 1887) Wife with sleeping child (as above) Early spring, motif from Kullen (exhibit 1887) View from Liseleje towards Frederiksværk (ext. 1915) Summer day at Arildsläge, Kullen (1920, Museum Sønderjylland)

Portraits The Artist's Father (1879) The Artist's Mother (1880) Portrait of manufacturer Theodor Hüttemeier (exhibited 1882) Ludvig Holstein-Ledreborg (1883) Carl Neumann (1891, Charlottenborg) Drawings and graphics in the Royal Copper Collection