Carl-Henning Pedersen
A founding spirit of the COBRA group, his paintings were vibrant, childlike dreamscapes filled with mythical birds and radiant suns.
1913–2007 (age 94)·Danish painter·Birthday: September 23·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Carl-Henning Pedersen was a self-taught Danish artist who became a vital force in the post-war European avant-garde. Rejecting rigid formalism, he helped forge the COBRA movement, championing spontaneous, expressive art drawn from folklore and the untamed imagination. His canvases are instantly recognizable: a universe of luminous color where fantastical horses gallop, mystical birds take flight, and radiant suns and moons watch over simplified, joyful figures. Often called the 'Scandinavian Chagall' for his poetic sensibility, Pedersen's work was nonetheless deeply personal, rooted in a belief that art should be a direct, emotional language. He and his wife, artist Else Alfelt, formed a creative partnership that lasted decades, their shared home a hub of artistic energy that produced some of Denmark's most beloved modern art.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Carl-Henning was born in 1913, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carl-Henning Was Born
The biggest hits of 1913
Carl-Henning's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1913Born
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1918Started school
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Became a teenager
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1929Could drive
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1931Could vote
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Turned 21
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1943Turned 30
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 40
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 50
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 60
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 70
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 80
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2007Died at 94
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Was a founding member of the influential COBRA art movement (1948-1951).
- Created a vast body of work, including paintings, mosaics, and sculptures, often featuring a personal mythology of symbols.
- Represented Denmark at the Venice Biennale in 1962.
Did You Know?
He did not begin painting seriously until he was in his mid-twenties.
He and his wife, Else Alfelt, are the only Danish artists to have a dedicated museum in Copenhagen (the Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt Museum).
He created large-scale public mosaics for buildings like the Copenhagen County Hospital in Herlev.
“I paint as I dream, and I dream as I live.”
