Eckersberg, Christoffer Vilhelm

Eckersberg, Christoffer Vilhelm krĭstôfˈər vĭlˈhĕlm ĕkˈərsbĕrkh [key], 1783–1853, Danish painter. He studied with J. L. David in Paris and in Rome became a friend of Thorvaldsen. After his return to Denmark (1816) he taught at the Copenhagen Academy, becoming its director. His finest works are portraits and seascapes, executed with great clarity of outline. Among his best works are Moses Dividing the Waters of the Red Sea, the series of historical paintings in the Christiansborg palace, and a portrait of Thorvaldsen (all: Copenhagen).

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