Early Life, Family and Training Mathias Blumenthal was born in 1719 to a family of German-Danish descent. His father, also named Mathias Blumenthal, was a rittmeister who had traveled from Riga to Gentofte, Denmark. This lineage placed the young painter within a specific European tradition of craftsmanship and movement. Growing up in this environment, he would eventually find his way toward the formal study of art. His training took…