Preben Rasmussen was born at Copenhagen in 1919. He was only eleven years old when he began his painting career. During the course of his life, he made many trips throughout Europe concentrating on France, Italy and Switzerland. Many of his paintings depict Paris, especially Montmartre and Sacre Coeur. Like Camille Pissarro, he regularly painted the same scenes at different times of the day in order to create the diversity of light and darkness as the day progressed. The inspiration he received from Van Gogh and Gauguin is apparent from the swirling colors and strong contrast between darkness and light. His style is marked by the thickness of his palette giving his works a three-dimensional aspect.

THE STYLE OF PREBEN RASMUSSEN

The touch of Preben Rasmussen is characterized by thick and generous layers of material giving his works an impressive relief. The swirling colors of his paintings invariably evoke the inspiration he found in Vincent Van Gogh

Preben Rasmussen framed his works even though they were not yet dry. This technique allowed him to avoid a difficult frame on a dry paint in relief. This also explains that all of the artist's works are all framed by the same frame pattern with only a few color variations: gray or beige

Like Camille Pissarro, Preben Rasmussen regularly paints the same scene at different times of the day :

La rue Norvins

La Tour Eiffel

 He also paints the same scene in different seasons :

 La place du Tertre

Preben Rasmussen mainly painted on isorel panels, which are more suitable for thick and heavy painting. However, we find some of his works on canvas.  

 

The most common formats are 30X40, 40X50, 40X35, 60X30 and some 65X55.  

 

The paintings of Preben Rasmussen are monogrammed "PR" on the painting. They can also be signed on the back of the painting by the artist.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE LIFE OF PREBEN RASMUSSEN ?  

 

In fact, we do not know much about his life, except that he was born in 1919 in Copenhagen


Only one press article talks about Preben Rasmussen ("Berlingske Tidente", danish newspaper). It is also this article from a Danish newspaper that we find often stuck on the back of his works :
"The landscape painter Preben Rasmussen has just returned from one on his annual trips to Switzerland, Italy and France , where he has painted many beautiful paintings. A part of these he has brought with him home to Denmark and will now start arranging another exhibition, where also a selection of his very realistic Danish landscape paintings can be found.

 Preben Rasmussen, who was born in Copenhagen I 1919 started to make drawings already when he was eleven years old, but the pencil was very fast replaced by the brush and oil colours inspired by his ideal the very well known artist Piet Hoejlesen.

His interest for the young painter can today be truly recognized in his colour composition and to a very high extent also in his landscape paintings. But it is his frequent stay in Paris who really had opened his eyes for the true art of painting. He was originally a naturalist using also Van Gogh and Gauguin as model and combining this with the inspiration from Piet Hoejlesen has achieved a somewhat more specific artistic effect.

To the more characteristic works of his youth belong "Sol i Nyhavn" (Sun in Newharbour), where he for the first time found his own expression with regards to artistic clarity and abundance.
Signed H.B. "he landscape painter Preben Rasmussen has just returned from one on his annual trips to Switzerland, Italy and France , where he has painted many beautiful paintings. A part of these he has brought with him home to Denmark and will now start arranging another exhibition, where also a selection of his very realistic Danish landscape paintings can be found. Preben Rasmussen, who was born in Copenhagen I 1919 started to make drawings already when he was eleven years old, but the pencil was very fast replaced by the brush and oil colours inspired by his ideal the very well known artist Piet Hoejlesen. His interest for the young painter can today be truly recognized in his colour composition and to a very high extent also in his landscape paintings. But it is his frequent stay in Paris who really had opened his eyes for the true art of painting. He was originally a naturalist using also Van Gogh and Gauguin as model and combining this with the inspiration from Piet Hoejlesen has achieved a somewhat more specific artistic effect. To the more characteristic works of his youth belong "Sol i Nyhavn" (Sun in Newharbour), where he for the first time found his own expression with regards to artistic clarity and abundance ». Signed H.B.

 

Date of death of Preben Rasmussen ?  

 

It is also full of uncertainty. If some sellers evoke the date of 1970, a painting of the artist found on sale on the internet, shows on his back a word of thanks to a doctor, message dated April 28, 1971.