He was the principal founder of Den Frie Udstilling, established in 1891 to allow artists to exhibit works which did not fall within the Academy's selection criteria.

[1] Rhode was born on 1 November 1856 in Randers, the son of merchant Hermann Peter Rohde (1827–97) and Ane Marie Schmidt (1832–1915).

Willumsen, Hammershøi, Harald and Agnes Slott-Møller and Christian Mourier-Petersen, he established Den Frie Udstilling where he exhibited throughout his life.

[4] Rohde also played an important part in the development of Danish craftsmanship with his high-quality silver designs (for Georg Jensen as well as furniture in both classical and Japanese styles.

Among his most significant designs for Georg Jensen are the Acorn (Konge, 1915) and Schroll (Sagam 1927) flatware patterns and the Cosmos yea and coffee service (1915).

Willumsen and Jan Verkade; as well as reproductions of Hammershøi's En Ung Pige der syer, J.-F. Millet's Brændehuggeren og Døden and Joakim Skovgaard's Bethesda Dam.

He was the father of the League of Nations official Gabriele Rohde and civil servant and director of the Royal Danish Theatre Henning Rhode.