Adam August Müller

A son of Bishop Peter Erasmus Müller (1776-1834), he was born in Copenhagen. In 1825, he became a student of Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783– 1853) at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, joining the Model School in 1828. Müller was deeply influenced by his mentor Eckersberg, an emblematic figure of the Danish Golden Age, whose academic rigor shaped Müller’s development to one day become one of Denmark’s most promising history painters. In 1829, he exhibited Aladdin, staaende bag Pillen, ser Gulnare ("Aladdin, standing behind a pillar, sees Gulnare") and the following year exhibited a number of portraits, two of which were purchased for the Royal Collection.

In 1838, he competed with Heinrich Eddelien for a scholarship to Italy. Eddelein prevailed but, thanks to the intercession of Bertel Thorvaldsen, Müller received some travel money as well. In 1839, he went to Italy after a short stay in Munich. His studies of Florentine painting encouraged him to adopt a new approach to religious painting, emulating the old Italian style. This earned him the Thorvaldsen Medal for "Christ Blesses the Four Evangelists", painted in 1843 after he had returned to Denmark. He had only just recovered from a serious illness when he went to Italy and was frequently ill while there. After his return to Copenhagen, his health deteriorated and he died there, leaving several unfinished commissions.