Wilheim Wils (1880-1960)

Wilheim Wils was educated at the school of Frede Aamodt and at the school of Zahrtmann. He was a pupil of P.A.Schou from 1905-1906, and also of Johan Rode from 1908. Wils was one of the leading Danish modernists back in 1915-1920 and lead the art of modernism into its peak during the 1930s. In his youth, Wils was fascinated by the works of Toulouse-Lautrec and was inspired to work on portraying all layers of the social classes in Copenhagen. Edvard Munch was also a great influence and led Wils into the study of the psychological side of the human character. Wils early works were often views from night cafés, theaters and street scenes. He also worked on a number of expressive portraits that showed a great insight in the characters personality. One of Wils favourite painting spots was the amusement park “Bakken” Where he did a series of works depicting people on amusement rides or dining. The artist Aksel Jorgensen was a close personal friend of Wils and together they did the décor for the restaurant and radio house “Lorry”.
Wils works are known for their powerful expressive brushstrokes and known for their dominating green, blue or red shades. Wils worked primarily in Denmark but has also worked in France, Germany and Italy.