Vilhelm Hammershøi, Courtyard Interior at Strandgade 30 (Gårdinteriør. Strandgade 30), circa 1905. Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, New York.
As U.S. ambassador to Denmark during the 1980s, John L. Loeb, Jr. expressed his admiration for his host nation through a remarkable collection of 19th century Danish art. The works span expansive landscapes, intimate domestic interiors, and seascapes bathed in Nordic light, as well as vivid portraits and scenes of daily life in the capital and countryside. It is within this grand survey that Ambassador Loeb recalls how Denmark's essence revealed itself to him, completely and quietly, through the eyes of its artists, and how, in the decades since, the country and its Golden Age continue to inspire reflection. Read our full interview with Ambassador Loeb below, and browse the full complement of works from the collection in our Modern & Contemporary Art Evening and Morning sales this May in New York.
Jeremiah Evarts: When you first arrived in Copenhagen and walked the halls of Rydhave, what did you feel in those quiet evenings?
Ambassador John L. Loeb, Jr.: I arrived in Denmark, excited to begin this new adventure as the U.S. Ambassador to this wonderful country. And, unlike other countries in Europe, a place I didn’t know much about when I began my tour there.
I spent my first evening in Denmark with my children. Alexandra was about to go into her second year at Harvard, and Nicholas was six years old. After they went to bed that night, and during the next few days, I would walk through the house to clear my thoughts after extremely busy days. My evenings ended quietly, and my thoughts would drift to the empty walls of this big home.
Vilhelm Hammershøi, Interior with Windsor Chair at Strandgade 25 (Interiør med windsorstol. Strandgade 25), 1913. Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, New York.
I grew up in a similar house full of beautiful art, and I immediately thought about what American Art I would want to put on the walls. While I was living in the States, I had, in fact, started to collect contemporary American art. So I have to admit, my first plan was to fill the empty walls with American art.
Of course, Jeremiah, as fate would have it, and as you well know, that idea soon changed; otherwise, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you today as the largest collector in the world, outside the Danish museums, of Danish art.
Vilhelm Hammershøi, The Church of St. Peter, Copenhagen (Petri Kirke set fra Larslejstræde, København), circa 1906. Modern & Contemporary Art: Morning Session, New York.
JE: You’ve written that being alone led you into art galleries and to friendships with Danish artists. Can you tell me about that turning point? And how did Jacob Asbæk’s gallery open a new world for you?
AL: The second weekend I was in Copenhagen, I went to Jacob Asbæk gallery by myself — I had heard it was one of the foremost contemporary art galleries in Denmark. I found a lot of young people there — all friendly — all involved in art: Artists, art collectors, art students — it ran the entire gamut.
His gallery opened up a new world for me — a Danish World. I felt comfortable in this environment of warm conversation, light drinks and light food. I felt drawn to be a part of it. I had already begun buying art in the States, both in New York City, Palm Beach, and in London. I wanted to learn more about Denmark, I wanted to learn more about the Danish people and their art.
Christian Mourier-Petersen, Ironing Room in an Old Country Mansion (Strygestue i en gammel gård på landet), 1891. Modern & Contemporary Art: Morning Session, New York.
JE: When you began receiving catalogues from Bruun Rasmussen, what was it that drew you to 19th-century Danish painting, as opposed to the contemporary art you first encountered?
AL: After I began living in Denmark, I started to receive catalogues of 19th century Danish art from Bruun Rasmussen auction house. At that time, they were the premier auction house for art and collectibles in Denmark. Having heard I was a lover of art, they reached out to me to encourage my interest in their auction house.
I was immediately drawn to their beautifully prepared catalogues. The art itself was also beautiful. It was art I felt comfortable with, and comforted by. It was art I could live with every day. It was art I wanted to live with every day. Contemporary art did not resonate with me. I bought 19th century Danish art quite simply because I liked it. I never felt that way about contemporary art.
It wasn’t a cerebral decision; it was a visceral one. I lived all of my adult life in a high-powered environment, so when I stepped into a room of Danish art — I stepped into a quiet, calm space. It made such an impact on me.
P. S. Krøyer, Self-Portrait, Sitting by His Easel at Skagen Beach (Selvportræt, siddende ved staffeliet på Skagens strand), 1902. Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, New York.
JE: You’ve said Hirschsprung became your ‘mentor,’ though he’d been dead for 75 years. What did you learn from his collection that guided your own?
AL: A few weeks after the Bruun Rasmussen catalogues arrived at the Embassy, I was invited to visit the Hirschsprung Museum. It is a museum which is similar to the Frick in New York City. This understated, though substantial, building housed magnificent examples of 19th century Danish art that have acted as the conduit through which Mr. Hirschsprung guided me from the grave, in my collecting, all these years. His great eye for 19th century Danish art was the standard to which I aspired in my collecting.
Harald Slott-Møller, Summer Day (Sommerdag), 1888. Modern & Contemporary Art: Morning Sale, New York.
JE: Your decision to focus on artists represented in the Hirschsprung Collection gave you a kind of compass. What did that discipline mean to you as a collector?
AL: After my first visit to the Museum, I would go back many times to study the works Hirschsprung collected. The discipline Hirschsprung’s collection provided me kept my collecting on track, as I rarely collected any Danish artists who were not represented in his collection.
Over the years, I’ve acquired more than 200 works of Danish art. Of that total, I have probably owned only six artists (including non-Danish ones) who were not represented in his collection.
Anna Ancher, Harvest Girl (Høstpige), 1903—1911. Modern & Contemporary Art: Morning Session, New York.
JE: You wrote that your collection began simply because you were alone. How did art become companionship for you during those years?
AL: At first, I did not expect that my buying Danish Art would turn into a major passion. I began buying Denmark’s art because it gave me a way to learn about the country, its people, and its culture. It was even a history lesson at times, especially once I fell in love with 19th century art, instead of its contemporary counterpart. I sought out books — of course, written in English — about that period of art and about the well-known artists who painted during that era.
Later, when my collection became truly substantial, I commissioned some of the top Danish scholars of the 19th century to write the text for the catalogue of my entire collection. It has become a treatise that art students now look to for scholarly texts on the artists of that period. This is something that I am very proud of because I have contributed to the scholarly learning of Danish art that can be used outside of Denmark by those who want to know more about this beautiful Scandinavian art.
Vilhelm Hammershøi, Landscape Study from Haraldskær Paper Mill by the Stream in Vejle (Landskabsstudie. Fra Haraldskær Papirfabrik ved Vejle å), 1883. Modern & Contemporary Art: Morning Session, New York.
Vilhelm Hammershøi, Landscape with a Row of Trees (Landskab med en række træer), circa 1880. Modern & Contemporary Art Evening Sale, New York.
Michael Ancher, The Old Garden House, summer 1914 (Det gamle Havehus, sommer 1914), 1914. Modern & Contemporary Art: Morning Session, New York.
JE: You’ve described your Danish collection as the largest outside Denmark’s museums. What do you hope people feel when they stand before these works?
AL: I hope when they stand before an exhibition of my works, they’ll sense the beauty in the people and the land — the countryside, the seaside, and the cities — that I feel when I look at these paintings.
P. S. Krøyer, Portrait of the Artist's Wife Marie (Kunstnerens hustru Marie), circa 1889. Modern & Contemporary Art: Morning Session, New York.
JE: What does it mean to you for this collection to now be seen by the world beyond Denmark?
AL: Of course, I hope the auction will be a success, and that these works, which I have grown to love, will be shared by those who acquire them after me.
I also hope the upcoming auction will continue to shine a light on the artists of this wonderful Scandinavian country and highlight their paintings of this particular period, which I so love. I hope it will encourage more interest in Denmark’s art, its people, and its land.