Charles C. Svendsen

(American, 1871-1959)

Charles Svendsen was born in Cincinnati in 1871.  He attended private drawing school at an early age and also studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy under Thomas Noble.  In Paris, he was a student of Bouguereau and Gabriel Ferrier at the Academy Julian and Academy Colarossi. .  He toured Egypt and Palestine in 1898.  He was primarily a church decorator, specializing in religio-historical paintings.  His works can be seen in Cincinnati’s St. Xavier Church, St. Theresa home chapel, St. Andrews, St. William, Holy Cross and Mt. St. Mary’s seminary in Norwood. Many of Svendsen’s Illustrations appear in books and magazines. 

Studied

Art Academy of Cincinnati, 1885-88; Academie Julian, Paris with Bouguereau and Ferrier, 1896; Acad. Colarossi, Paris.

Member

AAPL; Scandanavian-Am. Artists.

Exhibited

St. Louis Expo, 1904 (medal); Detroit AI; CAM; AIC; Soc. Indep. Artists; PAFA; SAA; & in Palestine & Egypt.

Work

Vanderpoel Collection; murals, St. Xavier Church, Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo, OH; Washington, DC; Cincinnati Art Museum.

Resources

WW59; WW47; Cincinnati Painters of the Golden Age, 105; Who’s Who, 3225.