Arild Rosenkrantz 1870-1964

Arild Rosenkrantz was born in 1870 to Baron Iver Holger Rosenkrantz, a Danish diplomat, and Julia Louise Mackenzie, a Scottish woman, at Frederiksborg Castle. His father passed away when he was only three years old, and he accompanied his mother on travels through Italy, Scotland, and England. In 1891, his mother, a spiritualist medium, settled permanently in Italy.

In 1887, in Rome, he studied under Professor Modesto Faustini, who instilled in him an appreciation for the Italian masters, an influence that would remain central in his work. Two years later, he attended the Académie Julian in Paris, studying with Jean-Paul Laurens and Benjamin Constant. He was also strongly influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, as well as by artists such as Turner and William Blake, and by Impressionists including Claude Monet. Between 1892 and 1894, he participated in the Salon de la Rose+Croix organized by Sâr Péladan.

Between 1894 and 1895, he worked in the United States with the glassmaker Tiffany, and later he created numerous stained-glass windows for British homes and churches.

It was from 1898 in London that his reputation as an artist developed. He joined the Anthroposophical Society, a movement seeking to study, experience, and describe spiritual phenomena with the same precision and clarity that science applies to the physical world. In 1912, he met the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, and two years later, he and his wife moved to Dornach, Switzerland, to participate in decorating the Goetheanum, the Anthroposophical Center, alongside other artists. Steiner taught Rosenkrantz about the intrinsic properties of colors, stating: “Colors are the soul of nature and the cosmos - and by living with colors, we become integral parts of this soul.”

After Steiner’s death in 1925, Rosenkrantz returned to London with his wife. He worked on numerous artistic projects for Anthroposophical theaters, designing costumes, stage sets, and decorating two halls. He also taught art and participated in many exhibitions.

At the end of 1939, Rosenkrantz returned to Denmark to organize an exhibition in Copenhagen to celebrate his 70th birthday on April 9, 1940. However, the German invasion made his return to London impossible. His family offered him and his wife lodging at Rosenholm Castle, where he remained until his death in 1964.