Johann Berthelsen 1883-1958

Johann Berthelsen was born in Copenhagen in 1883. After his parent's marriage disintegrated, his mother emigrated to America, taking Johann and his siblings with her. As a teenager, Johann was actively involved in choirs and singing groups, and when he was 18, Berthelsen enrolled in the Chicago Musical College, where he studied music and voice for four years.

Following his graduation, he toured the United States and Canada as lead baritone for the Grand Opera Company, after which he taught voice - first at his alma matter and then at the Indianapolis Conservatory of Music. In 1920, Berthelsen opened a private studio in New York City where he gave voice lessons. Although, he devoted most of his time to singing and music, Berthelsen painted - at first for his own pleasure and then, after 1932, on a full-time basis.

Johann Berthelsen's paintings of New York City are his signature works.  The combination of the bright colors of urban life with flickering snowfall and the city's massive architecture are tremendously successful examples of the genre. Initially, Berthelsen established his artistic reputation with his work in pastels, but having achieved success as a pastelist, he then turned his attention to oils. He exhibited widely and was the recipient of numerous awards including the Erskine Prize in 1928 in Chicago and in 1946, in Indianapolis, the Holcombe Prize.