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Olaf Rude

1886 – 1957

Danish artist

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About Olaf Rude

Lived 1886 – 1957 (aged 71). Olaf Rude was a Danish painter.

Olaf Rude (26 April 1886 – 17 June 1957) was a Danish painter. He was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Art from 1953 to 1956. He is remembered in particular for his paintings of oak trees at Skejten on Lolland, two of which can be seen at Christiansborg.

Biography He was born in an area then in the Russian Empire (now in Estonia). As a child, he moved with his family to Frejlev (Guldborgsund Municipality) on the island of Lolland. In 1905, he studied at the Copenhagen Technical School and later at the Kunstnernes Frie Studieskole where he was taught by Kristian Zahrtmann and Johan Rohde.

In 1911, he travelled to Paris where he was inspired especially by Paul Cézanne. On returning to Denmark, he became one of the classic modernists who around the time of the First World War focused on formal representation concentrating on form, line and colour. His work was exhibited at Grønningen's first exhibition in 1915. In 1919, he moved to Bornholm where he specialised in landscape painting and became a member of the Bornholm school of painters.

Rude was one of Denmark's most important modernists, sometimes called Denmark's Matisse for his use of colour in his expressive landscapes.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Copenhagen Technical College, Kunstnernes Frie Studieskoler
Employers
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
Awards
Eckersberg Medal; Thorvaldsen Medal; Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog; Decoration of the Cross of Honour of the Dannebrog; Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog
Also known as
Carl Olaff Rude, Olaff Rude, Carl Olaf Rude

People in Olaf Rude's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Olaf Rude's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Olaf Rude?

Danish artist (1886-1957)

When was Olaf Rude born?

Olaf Rude was born on 26 April 1886 in Rakvere.

When did Olaf Rude die?

Olaf Rude died on 17 June 1957 in Frederiksberg.

What was Olaf Rude's occupation?

Olaf Rude was a painter.

What nationality was Olaf Rude?

Olaf Rude was Danish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Olaf Rude

· Wikidata: Q12329984

· DBpedia: Olaf Rude

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Olaf Rude. https://biography.guide/olaf-rude/

MLA: "Olaf Rude." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/olaf-rude/.

Chicago: "Olaf Rude." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/olaf-rude/.

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