Poul Rytter's School of Fine Art in Holstebro 1946-53


From 1946 to 1953 Poul Rytter had a school of fine art in Holstebro, Western Jutland. It was very unusual for a small town to have its own school of art those days.

The school was established when some young, very ambitious and artistic talented people asked Poul Rytter from Husby to be their teacher and found a school for serious studies of painting and drawing. From the very beginning it was the goal that this school should be very professional and offer an education which could open the doors to the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen.

This school soon became the centre of a vivid, artististic circle. Every Wednesday evening many students met in the top-floor rooms of the Technical School in Danmarksgade to be taught artistic skill and culture to develop and improve their own talents. After lessons it was usual to go to the place of Karoline Poulsen to have a cup of coffee and with her as the chairman to discuss the events of the evening and other cultural and political issues. Sometimes lecturers from as 'far as Copenhagen' were invited to address the group of which several members later became important people in Danish art and the local muncipality.

When the students of the art school were to arrange exhibitions of their art the idea dawned upon them to establish the 'Holstebro Group' of local artists in order to support each other in the future, too.

This contact has been maintained during the years and in 2000 the 'Holstebro Group' had their new debut with an exhibition in 'Holstebro Musikteaters Galleri'.

The 'Holstebro Group' called the exhibition "3 Holstebroer + Beate". The reason for this was that Beate Skou is married to one third of 'The Holstebroer', the painter Knud E.Skou. The other members were the calligrapher and Graphic artist Bent Olesen and the multi artist Paul M.Cederdorff.

The following students went to the art school:

Knud Erik Skou, painting. Was the most important student and Rytter's assistant. He is now a recognized painter living in Herning.
Jens Jørgen Thorsen, drawing and lithografi. Was the most undiciplinned student and often did not attend. Has died.
Paul M. Cederdorff, sculpturer. Recognized artist now living in Mejdal, Holstebro.

All three just mentioned have been included in the Weilbach dictionary of artists.

Johannes Aaberg, sculpturer. Did many carvings. Was a teacher in Holstebro. Has died.
Marius Andersen, master builder in Holstebro. Has died.
Gunnar Christiansen, master painter. Has died.
Henning Kirk, master painter in Holstebro.
Carl Ingemann Nielsen, master builder in Holstebro. Has died.
Karl Pedersen, master painter. Has died.
Leif Ploug Pedersen, journeyman painter and a teacher in Esbjerg. Has died.
Ole Pedersen. Has died.
Librarian Bjerregaard was also involved in this project.

The model in the photo above is Lise Holst. There was also another model, Emma Ørts, who is not in this photo.
The two ladies in the front row are Mrs. Holst and Else Holst. The teacher Mr. Isenstein is bending over Paul Cederdorff.
The photo was taken on the terrace of doctor Holst's house in Skjernvej (road to Skjern) in 1953.

The teacher in the photo - Kurt Harald Isenstein (1898 - 1980) - was born in Hannover - sculpturer - own schools of art in Berlin and Copenhagen - represented in museums all over the World - see Weilbach dictionary - he had brought an assistant with him to Holstebro - the later well known painter and graphic artist Erik Lagoni Jacobsen, member of the council of the Academy of Art.

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