Show Utah Painter Once Poorhouse Inmate Work Vork Done us- us as a's s Child in State Institution Attracts Patron Patrons Patron's Attention Attention Becomes Artist t and M Mor- Mor Mormon Mor Mr Mormon r mon Pioneer I I D By MARRIOTT Another of the series of artl on pioneer Utah painters pre pared prepared by Mrs lIra Marriott CARtS CARL C ARtS ARL Christian Anton Christen Christensen v sen was born November 28 1831 1821 in Copenhagen the son Mads and Dorthea ChrIstian ChrIst ensen enen His fathers father's home horns was waa the northern part of ot the Dani peninsula where he be grew up a received practically no schooling ig- ig In the beginning beginning- of ot the century the entire European country try was aa at war which made school school- il ing schooling difficult His JUs Hi father was bo in July 1738 1798 lIla His mother born In n Copenhagen November 18 16 1806 of oC poor parents On of the war were nearly all poor In 1807 England id bombarded the tho city and after aeter th it was waa blockaded for tot several years until famine swept the country When she was two years old her mother died and when she was waa w eight her het father died She was Willi thrown Into the world an orphan without schooling She he taught her self melt to read and write She Sha had d four tour sons of oC which Carl was the t Oldest lest LIVED IN IT CELLAR forced this young mar mar- ma r- r led ried married Jt f couple to A- A AH H A A At t ti i live 0 of town fn In a cella cellar apartment but after aeter two sons were born it was as sary to move to a Q still cheaper place About this time the fath- fath father father fat fater er began to drink making milking clr clr- clr cl much worse and when under the tho Influence of ot liquor he 10 became become brutal to the mother all as allwell aswell well as robbing them of ot means mea on which they might live The T great need forced them to the tho work k workhouse house the mother Wa was a patient woman who Buttered in e and still 11 kept up her hope and under these terrIble circumstances she ahe still kept her faith in better times and re- re relied re r rHod lied Hod on her God for better days da s She Rhe live I 1 worked and suffered uttered for her childrens children's sake aly all ys ys hopIng that her het husband would sometime lo quit drinking He Ic had bad also alBa con co cor a B habit for tor bad company an lost power to say no and ho he became a slave to his habit He Hewa I Iwa wa wa- wa absolutely honest and would Id never take taka a penny which did not belong to him although he ho would rob Iob his family of ot a a necessary ily Ing Ing- to satisfy his craving thirst 2 ll ny times timis s only for tor good food hearted neighbors his wife Ife would have euf very much When Carl Can the tha subject ct of ot this article wu vaa w between S 8 and 9 0 years ra of ot age he hal hai to take charge ot of three younger children and do the house work whilo while hi his hili mother was wasat wasat 13 at work ork This led finally to Carl being placed In an Institution for forthe ir the poor where he had board Ing lodgIng i and clothIng clothing furnished at the t expense of ot the state and in theIr turn all 1111 three of ot the tho other boys bon followed to tho santo amo Institution ily lIy mother mother said he lie was wu was gift ed In cutting out birds birdi animals I and nd persons with surprising acy and It was in this way that Ih she shu entertained hor hoc children In th the absence of o any toys ton I 1 soon learn learn learn- i ol 01 o to draw nith Ith a sure aura hand and while I was WIla in the Institution x 1 made great Croat progress in drawing and cutting lIE nS Fl INT I S FRIEND in One day dllY a couple cOl of o lay ar ar- ar one of whom had studied In Copenhagen and Paris visited slatted the school and was wa-i impressed with my work Though her influence and means I 1 was placed In tho the Royal Academy of Art at about the same aan 31 time that I was to leave leavo the school and become an apprentice to a carpenter The Academy was open after noon only for tor tho the six rix winter months but I 1 had the benefit or of six or seven years training Here I became acquainted with the ar ar- ar r tiata and th their lr works work ani an my de- de desIres desires sires to paint became stronger and stronger and my wishes s to become a carpenter diminished My lily great was Willi to wield the tho palette and brush Sly Ny lly change chane of heart caused me some somo trouble with my carpenter carpenti teacher to whom I was bound by b 5 a B year seven year seven contract Through th efforts of of my foster mother Harbo I was released front from this this- obligation and began my m new life as a II student This was in the spring of oC 2848 1848 after having wasted two years lithe In Inthe inthe the carpenter shop His new teach teach- teacher er taught him the practical side sid ot of and decoration lib Iio H was to hav have havo remained here fox for five years but he Jie writes At this time Ih the greatest greatt and most important happening of o my any life took place place- place I 1 became a Mormon ibis was a great disappointment to his foster mother who had de do- do rayed all the expense of his art education but Christensen felt that It had stood Wm in good as ILS he came to a II new country and died Its churches and dwellings dwelling and nd made a a real contribution to a anew anew new land For years he then traveled tra In Denmark and Norway where ho he hi ha had 1 a host ot of experiences and then Immigrated td to He Ho marrIed a Norwegian girl In 1867 and the Journey to Utah was with his wife and friends The journey was be be- be begun gun in April ADrU 1857 1867 and he arrived in Salt Lake Lako City September of 0 tho the same sarno year IN JN THEATRE E For nine years he ho hato had ha to work worl at almo almost t anything at hand to give him a a living With the fInishing of the Salt Lako Lake Theatre he Will was wa given work where he spent se eral winters painting painting- Many will remember r his Pan orama ot of o Church u Histon History water colors feet teet This was wa shown In Utah and anil Idaho and was wai wasa a financial Success Ho lie made mado hIs bis home at at Ephraim where ho he painted the Angel Nor Nor- oni Delivering the tho Plates to Jos Joa e eph h This covered the whole end tn of the meeting house and remain el ei there tor for many years but lI e eso so nan man other paintings and fres- fres frescos freScos cos it finally received it Its coat ol of whIte wash and was eventually obliterated through tho the remodeling of ot tho house much He lie did much of ot the decorating in the 1 Manti 1111 temple He lie has haa been a zealous church member and many of his paintings record i Incident ot of the travels sf of f the e pioneers s acro the desert and their thelt ar- ar arrival rival rhal in The Tho Valley Vailey It has baa been the writers writer's liege e to see many of his paintings The arrival ot o of Immigrants at Salt Lake City is a very and creditable portrayal His Hia works abound in sympathy and harmony which comes come from the Inner SOUl so of oC one ono who has been heed purified through tribulation anS ani It Is this I which makes the beholder feel teel th the poetic thought and nature of the tho theartist artist His literary ability was of ot no small scale He has hu written prose and poetry which is c counted among the best productions of tho thu last lu hundred years In Danis literature It It was his privilege upon two tv different occasions to return to tl the home of ot his hl is birth In 1866 1865 arr ari- again in 15 1187 He lie died dl d July 1 3 1911 1912 f 4 |