About Emil Carlsen
Danish[2]-American painter whose luminous still lifes drew comparison with Chardin and placed him at the centre of American Impressionism.
Where to see Emil Carlsen
Ranked by works you can see in person.
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3 works
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Houston, United States
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3 works
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
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2 works
National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C., United States
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2 works
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Old Patent Office Building, United States
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2 works
Saint Louis Art Museum
St. Louis, United States
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2 works
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York City, United States
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2 works
Museo de Arte de Worcester
Worcester, United States
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1 works
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, United States
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1 works
Vanderbilt Museum of Art
Nashville, United States
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1 works
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Los Angeles, United States
View all 16 museums
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1 works
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
San Francisco, United States
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1 works
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Indianapolis, United States
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1 works
McLean Museum and Art Gallery
Greenock, United Kingdom
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1 works
Ulrich Museum of Art
Wichita, United States
Also here (3)
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1 works
RISD Museum
Providence, United States
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1 works
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Emil Carlsen?
Emil Carlsen was an American still life[2] painter who was often compared to Chardin. He emigrated from Copenhagen in his early twenties and taught himself to paint through observation. He also taught at the Chicago Academy of Design, the California School of Design, the National Academy of Design, the Art Students League, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.What is Emil Carlsen known for?
Emil Carlsen is known as one of America's most admired still life[2] painters. His work was frequently compared to that of Chardin. He developed muted tonal harmonies and luminous glazes, which he used to depict copper vessels, fish, game, and ceramic bowls.What was Emil Carlsen's art style?
His friendships with John Twachtman and Julian Alden Weir placed Emil Carlsen within the core of American Impressionism. However, he remained somewhat apart from their plein-air enthusiasm, preferring the controlled light of his studio. He built up surfaces across many glazed layers.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Emil Carlsen's works across the following collections.
- [1] museum National Gallery of Art Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] wikipedia Wikipedia: Emil Carlsen Used for: biography.
- [3] book Brodskaya Nathalia, Brodskaya Nathalia - Symbolism Used for: biography.
- [4] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
- [5] book Landauer, Susan, The not-so-still life : a century of California painting and sculpture Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-07-02. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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