Caroline Emilie Mundt (August 22, 1842 – October 25, 1922) was a prominent Danish painter, recognized for her emotionally resonant portraits of children, scenes of everyday
life, and depictions of peasant life.Partner Marie Luplau
Queer Places:
Académie Colarossi
Gl. Kongevej 136, 1850 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Solbjerg Parkkirkegård, Roskildevej 54, 2000 Frederiksberg, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark
Caroline Emilie Mundt (August 22, 1842 – October 25, 1922) was a prominent Danish painter, recognized for her emotionally resonant portraits of children, scenes of everyday
life, and depictions of peasant life.
Born in Sorø, Denmark, on August 22, 1842, Emilie was the daughter of Carl Emil Mundt, a professor of mathematics and astronomy, and Caroline Amalie Jørgensen. Her mother passed away when Emilie was just three years old. Raised in an intellectually stimulating household, she received her early education at Natalie Zahle’s School in Copenhagen, where she trained to become a school and drawing teacher—a career she pursued for over a decade.
It was not until the death of her father in 1873 that Mundt fully transitioned to a career in art at age 31:
She initially studied under Jørgen Roed before enrolling at Vilhelm Kyhn’s Painting School for Women in 1873.
In 1875, she and several other women unsuccessfully applied for admission to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Following this rejection, she traveled to Munich and later Paris (enrolling at the Académie Colarossi) to further her technical skills.
In 1886, she and her partner, Marie Luplau, founded their own painting and drawing school for women in Frederiksberg, which they operated until 1913. This school was instrumental in training a new generation of female Danish artists. Mundt and Luplau lived and operated their painting school for women on the top floor of the building located at Gl. Kongevej 136 in Frederiksberg, Denmark. The couple moved into this space in 1886, establishing an art school there that would serve as a vital training ground for female artists until 1913. This location was central to their professional and personal life, serving simultaneously as their home, studio, and school.
Mundt was one of the first members of the Kvindelige Kunstneres Samfund (Women's Art Society), founded in 1916.
Emilie Mundt is a significant figure in both Danish art history and LGBTQ+ history. Her life and work are frequently studied as early examples of queer domesticity and partnership.
While studying at Vilhelm Kyhn's school in 1872, Mundt met fellow artist Marie Luplau. They became a couple, lived together for the rest of their lives, and are widely recognized as life partners.
Malerinde og barn i atelieret (Female painter and child in the studio), by Emilie Mundt
Carla Mundt-Luplau, by Marie Luplau
Marie Luplau and Emilie Mundt in their Frederikberg home, c. 1885
Marie_Luplau_and_Emilie_Mundt_and_daughter
In 1890, the couple adopted a daughter, Carla Mundt-Luplau. This move made them the first known lesbian couple to adopt a child in Denmark.
Mundt and Luplau frequently featured their domestic life and their daughter in their paintings. Mundt’s 1893 painting, Malerinde og barn i atelieret (Female painter and child in the studio), depicts Luplau with their daughter, providing a rare historical window into their shared life.
The couple lived and worked together for decades and were buried together in the Solbjerg Park Cemetery in Copenhagen. Their relationship and contributions to art are now regularly featured in exhibitions and historical research focusing on queer women's history.
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