Johann Berthelsen (American, 1883-1972) Oil on artist board, Signed Lower Right "Johann Berthelsen", titled "Tree in Winter", measures 8 x 6 inches not including custom frame. He was born in Copenhagen in 1883, the 7th of seven sons, to Conrad and Dorothea Karen Berthelsen. The parents moved in artistic and professional circles. His father was a tenor with the Royal Opera and his mother was a nurse affiliated with a prominent physician. A year before Johann's birth, his parents visited the United States, but the marriage was in trouble and they returned to Denmark to divorce. In 1890, his mother brought the children to America, settling in Manistee, Michigan, with her sister's family. They would eventually live in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a city on the shore of Lake Michigan. As a teenager, Johann was actively involved in choirs and singing groups. And always, he loved to draw and paint. Though obviously intelligent and curious, he was too impatient to take well to schoolwork and never went beyond the 5th grade. It was not uncommon for boys to start working at an early age, and Johann tried several careersThe Collection of Sidney Rothberg, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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