Potrait of Michael and Anna Ancher, Gift to the Anchers on the Occasion of their Silver Wedding, 1905

Portrait of Michael and Anna Ancher, Gift to the Anchers on the Occasion of their Silver Wedding, 1905

Anna and Michael Ancher got married on 18 August 1880 in Skagen Church, the same day that Anna turned 21. This was an eventful year in both Anna and Michael Ancher’s lives. Anna debuted at Charlottenborg’s Spring Exhibition in Copenhagen, where she exhibited pretty much every year for the rest of her life. Michael had his artistic breakthrough the same year, and the couple who had been engaged since the autumn of 1878, had enough money to get married. They settled in Skagen and became the fulcrum of the artist colony.

Ancher and Krøyer had been friends and professional rivals since Krøyer first arrived in Skagen in 1882. Krøyer created a beautiful portrait of the Ancher couple on their 25th anniversary, which was celebrated with friends and family in Skagen.