Praised and Mocked tells the story of one of Denmark’s greatest portrait painters, who went from being loved and celebrated to being criticized and effectively erased from the history of arts.

With more than 100 works, Christian Albrecht Jensen (1792-1870) is one of the artists most richly represented in Frederiksborg’s collection. Now, for the first time, his works are gathered and supplemented by a series of important loans, allowing the story of Jensen’s life and art to be fully unfolded.

From humble beginnings, Jensen worked his way up to become the most sought-after portrait artist from 1825-1840, during what is known as the Danish Golden Age. Both the royal family, politicians, and the bourgeoisie preferred Jensen—so much so that through his brush, we are led through the most central and powerful figures of the time.

His portraits became so popular because his style was both painterly, sensitive, and lively, and because he had a fabulous talent for capturing both the personality and humanity of those he portrayed. A style that also gave rise to harsh criticism, ultimately leading to him being ostracized. At the end, he completely stopped painting.