Johann Berthelsen Landscape Paintings

Signed lower right, 'Johann Berthelsen' (American, 1883-1972) and painted circa 1940. Original artist supply label, verso, from Greenwald Inc, New York. Previously with William Doy...

Johann Berthelsen (1883 - 1972) Washington Square Park, New York City Oil on Board 12 x 9 inches 15.5x12.5 inches with frame (frame has losses) Signed lower right: Johann Berthel...

A stunning jewel and pertinent example of Berthelsen's charming New York City scenes. Here we find a Central Park pathway at night and the Manhattan buildings depicted in the far bac...

Johann Berthelsen Little Church Around the Corner, circa 1950 Signed lower right Oil on canvasboard 12 x 9 inches Provenance: Glasner ...

A truly stunning jewel and pertinent example of Berthelsen's charming New York City scenes. Here we find Central Park at night near the water and the Plaza Hotel depicted in the far ...

A truly stunning jewel and pertinent example of Berthelsen's charming New York City winter scenes depicting New York, 5th Avenue in the snow. An iconic scene that so many have come t...

Johann Berthelsen (1883 - 1972) Winter Quiet, Central Park, New York City Oil on canvas 12 x 9 inches Signed lower right; signed, titled and stamped on the reverse Provenance: Private Collection Eastern Gallery, New York Private Collection This work has been confirmed to be authentic by the artist's son, Lee Berthelsen. He was born in Copenhagen in 1883, the 7th of seven sons, to Conrad and Dorothea Karen Berthelsen. The parents moved in artistic and professional circles.  In 1890, his mother brought the children to America, settling in Manistee, Michigan, with her sister's family.  They would eventually live in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a city on the shore of Lake Michigan. As a teenager, Johann was actively involved in choirs and singing groups.  And always, he loved to draw and paint.  Though obviously intelligent and curious, he was too impatient to take well to schoolwork and never went beyond the 5th grade. Although he worked at several trades, Johann's mind and heart were always with the arts.  As his voice matured, his always pleasant sound evolved into a rich and powerful baritone.  Having always wanted to be an actor, at the age of 18, the young man moved to Chicago where he reconnected with an old friend who was studying voice at the Chicago Musical College.    He was awarded the school's Gold Medal on two occasions, and after graduation he earned a job as the lead baritone with the newly formed Standard Opera Company which was owned by the Schuberts. For the next five years, Johann Berthelsen enjoyed a rich and varied career, touring the U.S. and Canada in operas, concerts, Gilbert & Sullivan, and operettas. Despite considerable success, the grueling pace of life on the road was difficult, and in 1910 he joined the voice faculty at Chicago Musical College.   Now, in addition to teaching and performing, he had more time to pursue his other personal interests, especially painting.  He became friends with the artist, Svend Svendsen, a noted landscape painter.  Svendsen's snow scenes especially intrigued him.  Though Berthelsen never formally studied with him, Svendsen would become a major influence in his choice of mood and treatment of light and shadow.  In 1913, at the age of 30, he became the youngest-ever head of the voice department at the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music. In Indianapolis, he began a friendship with the painter, Wayman Adams.  A native of Muncie, Indiana, Adams had studied with William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri in Spain and Italy and had already established a reputation as a portraitist.  Adams and Berthelsen were to remain best friends for the remainder of their lives.  Adams would paint many significant portraits of Berthelsen including a life-sized image of his friend preparing to go on stage. Although he kept a busy schedule producing student performances and personally appearing as a concert artist and actor, Berthelsen now had more free time to devote to his other interests including painting. He had a voracious appetite for knowledge in every field and, on one occasion, he agreed to appear on stage in a minor role so that he could observe the great tenor, Enrico Caruso.  Even years later, he relished the experience and said that Caruso was, in every way, everything a singer could possibly be.  Likewise, he spent hours discussing art with Adams and his other friends. In 1920, seeking to advance their careers, Berthelsen and Adams moved to New York, where both achieved rapid success.  From 1920 through the late '50s , Wayman Adams painted some of his best-known works.  Johann Berthelsen established a private school of singing instruction at the Rodin Studios and attracted a distinguished following, including Howard Marsh who created the lead in "The Student Prince," and Robert Halliday who starred in the original production of Romberg's "The Desert Song."  As a hobby, he created pastels and watercolors featuring New York scenes.  They were exhibited to excellent reviews, and in 1926, he was elected to membership in the American Watercolor Society. Established in New York artistic musical and theatrical circles, his professional reputation grew.  Financially comfortable, fulfilled and happy, the family was a part of the vital New York arts community. In 1929, the heady prosperity of the Roaring '20s dissolved in the Stock Market crash, and the arts were among the hardest hit sectors. With many Broadway theaters...

Johann Berthelsen (1883 - 1972) Fifth Avenue Looking North from 23rd Street, Empire State Building Oil on canvas 16 x 12 inches Signed lower right; signed and titled on the stretcher...

Signed lower right: Johann Berthelsen; on stretcher bar: Johann Berthelsen Early Evening Central Park New York N.Y. / #2 / “The Mall” New York NY. / “Central Park, 1962

A stunning and pertinent example of Berthelsen's charming New York City winter scenes depicting Washington Square Park in the snow. An iconic scene that so many have come to love and...

Johann Berthelsen (1883 - 1972) Riverside Church, Looking North on Riverside Drive Oil on canvasboard 12 x 16 inches Signed lower right He was born in...

Signed "Johann Berthelsen" (lower right) A master of the American Impressionist movement, Johann Berthelsen’s wintertime scene perfectly portrays the beauty and ambiance of snowfall...