1837 Janus la Cour is born near the town of Ringkøbing, on Denmark’s west coast, on 5 September; his father is the owner of a large farm.
1844–1853 The La Cour family moves to Djursland, located north of Aarhus on the east coast, and then to the Saralyst farm – these moves are made because his father is able to resell the farms at a profit.
1853–1855 Receives private artistic instruction from the genre painter Vilhelm Marstrand.
1855 At the age of 18, participates for the first time in the famous annual spring exhibition at Charlottenborg Palace, the home of Copenhagen’s academy of art; his works can regularly be seen there from then on.
1856 Instruction from the established landscape painter P.C. Skovgaard, who will have a formative influence on him. Maintains friendly ties with the Skovgaard family for the rest of his life and even lives and paints in their house in Copenhagen from 1861 until into the 1880s.
1866/67 His first journey abroad leads him to Rome by way of Lübeck, Paris, Montréjeau and the Pyrenees, Marseilles, Nice and Genoa. La Cour is part of the first generation of artists to travel by rail.
1868 Back in Denmark, immediately plans second tour to Rome via Switzerland (Montreux and Lake Geneva, Rosenlaui); paints studies at Lake Nemi, south-east of Rome and in Sorrento. His distinctively individual style establishes itself during this journey and develops new power through simplification.
1871 First successes in Copenhagen; receives the highest award of Copenhagen’s academy – the exhibition medal.
1874 Third tour to Italy via Switzerland; destinations include Capri and Tivoli with the Villa d’Este. Admitted to Copenhagen’s academy of art.
1881 In the following years, numerous journeys to visit friends in Sweden – at Tyllinge Manor, among other places.
1882–1883 Participates in the international art exhibitions in Vienna and Munich; member of Stockholm’s academy of art.
1884 Moves to Mariendal, south of Aarhus.
1888 Granted the title of professor at Copenhagen’s academy of art. Purchases the farm, the Langballegård first permanent place of residence owned by him; it is located between Odder and Aarhus, near the mill stream in the forest which he often paints.
From 1892 Participates in exhibitions in Munich, Chicago, Lübeck, Stockholm, Gothenborg and Christiania (Oslo).
1897 Travel grant for Italy, destinations include Villa d’Este and the Riviera.
1900 Awarded the bronze medal at the world’s fair in Paris.
1901 Presents one of the world’s first exhibitions consisting solely of oil studies, showing over 200 works in Copenhagen.
1902–1905 Once again journeys to Switzerland and Italy, destinations include the Alps and the Monte Rosa massif.
1907 Participates in the Danish art exhibition in London. Major solo exhibition in Copenhagen.
1908 Despite being sick and in a weakened state, once again journeys to Italy – to Tivoli, to one of his favourite places, the Villa d’Este.
1909 Janus la Cour dies in his home in October at the age of 72 – there is an unfinished painting of the Villa d’Este on his easel.