Art of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Danish art goes back thousands of years with significant artifacts from the 2nd millennium BC, such as the Trundholm sun chariot
. Art from modern Denmark
forms part of the art of the Nordic Bronze Age
, and then Norse
and Viking art. Danish medieval painting is almost entirely known from church frescos
such as those from the 16th century artist known as the Elmelunde Master
.
Thereafter for an extended period art in Denmark was either imported from Germany and the Netherlands or Danish artists studied abroad and produced work that was seldom inspired by Denmark itself. From the late 18th century on, the situation changed radically and beginning with the Danish Golden Age, a distinct tradition of Danish art has continued to flourish until today.
Lur
s are a distinctive type of giant curving Bronze Age horn, of which 35 of the 53 known examples have been found in bogs in Denmark, very often in pairs. They are normally made of bronze, and often decorated.
A possibly alien find in Denmark is the Gundestrup cauldron
, a richly-decorated silver vessel, thought to date to the 1st century BC. It was found in 1891 in a peat bog near the hamlet of Gundestrup in north-eastern Jutland. The silversmithing of the plates is very skilled. The bowl, 70 cm across, was beaten from a single ingot.
Now in the National Museum of Denmark
, it is the largest known example of European silver work from the period. The style and workmanship suggest Thracian origin, while the imagery seems Celt
ic, so it may not reflect local styles.
period of about 400-800 AD is represented by the Golden Horns of Gallehus
, now known only from drawings since they were stolen and melted down in 1802, and significant deposits from weapons sacrifice
such as that at Illerup Ådal
, where 15,000 items were found, deposited during the period 200-500.
Danish sites have given their names to two of the six main styles of Norse art
, Jelling style
(10th century) and its successor Mammen style
(10-11th centuries), though the other styles are also represented in Denmark. Only one Danish ship burial
is known, from Ladbyskibet. The images on the runestones at Jelling
are probably the best known Danish works of the period. Although little of their original paintwork remains today, copies of the largest stone in the National Museum of Denmark
and in the museum at Jelling have been redecorated in vivid colours based on the fragments of paint which remained on the original.
. They lay hidden for centuries as after the reformation
, they were covered with limewash
(Danish: kalk) only to be revealed and restored during the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Of most interest to Danish art are the Gothic
paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries as they were painted in a style typical of native Danish painters. Adopting the Biblia pauperum
approach, they present many of the most popular stories from the Old
and New Testament
s in typological
juxtapositions.
Danish panel painting
and painted wood-carving of the late Middle Ages was mostly by, or heavily influenced by, the prevailing North German styles, especially those of Hamburg
and other Hanseatic
cities. At the Protestant Reformation
religious painting virtually ceased, and for a long period the most notable portraits of the royal family were made by foreign artists, such as Hans Holbein the Younger
's portrait of Christina of Denmark
. Albrecht Dürer
's portrait of her father Christian II of Denmark
, painted in Brussels
in 1521, has not survived, though portraits of him by other foreign artists have.
The establishment of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1754 followed the general European pattern, and was intended to develop a national school and reduce the need to import artists from other countries. After a period of development its pupils were indeed to lead the creation of a distinct Danish style. After an architect, the second Director was Johannes Wiedewelt
(1731–1802), a Neoclassical
sculptor trained in Italy and France, who had followed his father as court sculptor, and is remembered for his memorials and garden decorations including the monument of King Frederick V
in Roskilde Cathedral
and the Naval Monument in Holmens Cemetery. The first painter to lead it was the Swedish-born Carl Gustaf Pilo
(c. 1711-1793), a portraitist and history painter in the grand style, and the next Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard
(1743–1809), himself an ex-student, who developed a Neo-Classical
style. Leading Danish artists teaching at the Academy included Christian August Lorentzen
and Jens Juel
, also later Director. Unlike in England, for example, most leading Danish artists for at least the next century trained at the Academy and often returned to teach there, and the tension between academic art
and other styles is much less a feature of Danish art history than that of France, England or other countries.
A student of Abildgaard's period at the Academy was Bertel Thorvaldsen
(1770–1844), by far the most famous Danish sculptor, who along with the Italian Canova was recognised across Europe as the leading Neoclassical sculptor. Among his works are the colossal series of statues of Christ
and the twelve Apostles for the rebuilding of Vor Frue Kirke
in Copenhagen. Motifs for his works (reliefs, statues, and busts) were drawn mostly from Greek mythology
, but he also created portraits of important personalities, as in his tomb monument for Pope Pius VII
in St Peter's Basilica, Rome. His works can be seen in many European countries, but there is a very large collection at the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen. He was based in Rome for many years, and played an important role in encouraging young Danish artists spending time in the city. Another important Neoclassicist produced by the Academy was the painter Asmus Jacob Carstens
, whose later career was all spent in Italy or Germany.
The establishment in 1775 of the Royal Copenhagen
Porcelain
Factory was another royal initiative, typical of monarchies in the period, though the business has outlasted the great majority of such factories, and survives today as part of a larger group, which also includes the Kosta Glasbruk
glass company, founded in 1742 by two army officers, and the Orrefors Glasbruk (founded 1898), all known internationally.
Around the beginning of the 19th century the Golden Age of Danish Painting
emerged to form a distinct national style for the first time since the Middle Ages; the period lasted until the middle of the 19th century. It has a style drawing on Dutch Golden Age painting
, especially its landscape painting, and depicting northern light that is soft but allows strong contrasts of colour. The treatment of scenes is typically an idealized version of reality, but unpretentiously so, appearing more realist
than is actually the case. Interior scenes, often small portrait groups, are also common, with a similar treatment of humble domestic objects and furniture, often of the artist's circle of friends. Little Danish art was seen outside the country (indeed it mostly remains there to this day) and the Danish-trained leader of German Romantic painting Caspar David Friedrich
was important in spreading its influence in Germany.
A crucial figure was Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
, who had studied in Paris with Jacques-Louis David
and was further influenced towards Neo-Classicism by Thorwaldsen. Eckersberg taught at the Academy from 1818 to 1853, becoming Director from 1827–28, and was an important influence on the following generation, in which landscape painting came to the fore. He taught most of the leading artists of the period, including:
Among other artists, C.A. Jensen (1792–1870) specialized almost exclusively in portraits.
At the end of the period painting style, especially in landscape art, became caught up in the political issue of the Schleswig-Holstein Question
, a vital matter for Danes, but notoriously impenetrable for most others in Europe.
Danish painting continued many of the characteristics of the Golden Age, but gradually moved closer to styles of the rest of Europe, especially Germany. Artists include:
Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann
(1819–1881) was born in Żoliborz
(Jolibord) a borough
of Warsaw
but moved to Denmark when she married Danish sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau
in 1846. She is best known for her portraits and was commissioned by the Danish Royal Family
to paint their portraits to the annoyance and jealousy of local artists. The mild eroticism of a few of her paintings was looked upon unfavourably by many at the time but she remained aloof, perhaps reassured by the fact that some of her husband's sculptures were erotic in nature.
Carl Heinrich Bloch
(1834–1890) was a rare Danish history painter, mostly of Biblical subjects, who developed his academic
style in Italy before returning to Copenhagen in 1866. He was commissioned to produce 23 paintings for the Chapel at Frederiksborg Palace
consisting of scenes from the life of Christ
which have become very popular as illustrations. For over 40 years the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made much use of Carl Bloch's paintings, especially those from the Frederiksborg Palace collection, in its church buildings and printed media.
Edvard Eriksen
(1876–1959) is best known as the sculptor of the bronze Little Mermaid
statue in Copenhagen
. Based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen
, he completed the work in 1913.
In 1871, Holger Drachmann
(1846–1908) and Karl Madsen
(1855–1938) visited Skagen
in the far north of Jutland
where they quickly built up one of Scandinavia's most successful artists' colonies
. They were soon joined by P.S. Krøyer (1851–1909), Carl Locher
(1851–1915), Laurits Tuxen
(1853–1927), the Norwegian Christian Skredsvig
(1854–1924) and Michael (1849–1927) and Anna Ancher
(1859–1935). All participated in painting the natural surroundings and local people. The symbolist Jens Ferdinand Willumsen
(1863–1958) also visited the Skagen community.
A little later, at the very beinning of the 20th century, a similar phenomenon developed on the island of Funen
with the encouragement of Johannes Larsen
(1867–1961) and the inspiration of Theodor Philipsen
. The Fynboerne or Funen Painters
included: Peter Hansen
, Fritz Syberg
, Jens Birkholm, Karl Schou, Harald Giersing
, Anna Syberg
, Christine Swane
and Alhed Larsen
.
(1840–1920) through his personal contact with Paul Gauguin
became the sole Danish impressionist of his generation.
Laurits Andersen Ring (1854–1933), famous for his involvement in Danish symbolism
, specialised in paintings of village life and landscapes in the south of Zealand.
Paul Gustave Fischer
(1860–1934) was a romantic impressionistic painter specialising in city street scenes and bright bathing compositions.
Vilhelm Hammershøi
(1864–1916) was considered something of an enigma in his lifetime but is now remembered mainly for his subdued paintings of interiors, usually empty spaces but occasionally with a solitary figure.
Danish expressionist
landscape painting developed between the world wars with Jens Søndergaard
and Oluf Høst
as its main representatives. In parallel, younger artists such as Niels Lergaard
, Lauritz Hartz
and Karl Bovin
adopted the light French colours and formalism of modernism
, founding the Corner group of artists
in 1932. Around the same time, Edvard Weie
, the Swedish artist Karl Isakson
, Olaf Rude
, Kræsten Iversen
, Oluf Høst
and Niels Lergaard
were attracted by the natural beauty of the Baltic islands of Bornholm
and the much smaller Christiansø. Together they initiated the so-called Bornholm School
providing the basis of the permanent exhibition at the Bornholm Art Museum
near Gudhjem
. Painters of nature and everyday life such as Erik Hoppe
and Knud Agger initiated the highly successful Grønningen
association which provided a platform for exhibitions in Copenhagen
.
Sigurd Swane
(1879–1973) was initially influenced by the work of the Fauves
in Paris when he began a series of paintings of woodlands rich in greens, yellows and blues. He later painted a number of light-filled landscapes while living on a farm in Odsherred
in north-western Zealand.
Harald Giersing
(1881–1927) was instrumental in developing the classic modernism movement in Denmark around 1910-1920.
Vilhelm Lundstrøm
( 1893–1950), one of the greatest modernists, brought French cubism
to Denmark. He is remembered for his still-life paintings with oranges and for cubistic scenes with nudes. His later work developed into much looser modern art with contrasting colours and form.
Richard Mortensen
(1910–1993) was an important surrealistic painter, inspired by Wassily Kandinsky
. He was a joint founder of the "Linien" group of artists and also a member of the Grønningen group. His later expressionist works exhibit large, clear, brightly coloured surfaces.
Asger Jorn
(1914–1973) was a Danish artist, sculptor, writer and ceramist. Looking for inspiration outside Denmark, he traveled widely. After meeting artists such as Constant Nieuwenhuys
, Appel
and Dotremont
, he became the driving force behind the Cobra group
where he excelled in ceramics but also continued to paint in oils.
Danish design
became of international importance in the decades after World War II, especially in furniture, where it pioneered a style sometimes known as Danish modern
, the forerunner of the general Scandinavian Design
style popularized by IKEA
. Important designers include Finn Juhl
(1912–1989), Hans Wegner
(1914–2007) and Arne Jacobsen
(1902–1971).
north of Copenhagen
and at the North Jutland Art Museum in Aalborg
. The National Museum of Art
and the Glyptotek
, both in Copenhagen, contain treasures of Danish and international art.
in Paris, the tapestries were based on full-sized sketches by the versatile Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard
. Completed in 1999, they now hang in the Great Hall at Christiansborg Palace
.
, Denmark has had some outstanding successes in contemporary architecture. Johann Otto von Spreckelsen
, relying on simple geometrical figures, designed the Grande Arche
at La Défense
in Paris. Prolific Henning Larsen
designed the Foreign Ministry building in Riyadh
, as well as a variety of prestige buildings throughout Scandinavia
, including the recently completed Copenhagen Opera House. Jørn Utzon
's iconic Sydney Opera House
earned him the distinction of becoming only the second person to have his work recognized as a World Heritage Site
while still alive.
and others in :Category:Art museums and galleries in Denmark.
Trundholm sun chariot
The Trundholm sun chariot , is a late Nordic Bronze Age artifact discovered in Denmark. It is a representatino of the sun chariot, a bronze statue of a horse and a large bronze disk, which are placed on a device with spoked wheels....
. Art from modern Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
forms part of the art of the Nordic Bronze Age
Nordic Bronze Age
The Nordic Bronze Age is the name given by Oscar Montelius to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian pre-history, c. 1700-500 BC, with sites that reached as far east as Estonia. Succeeding the Late Neolithic culture, its ethnic and linguistic affinities are unknown in the absence of...
, and then Norse
Norse art
Norse art is a blanket term for the artistic styles in Scandinavia during the Germanic Iron Age, the Viking Age , and sometimes even used when describing objects from the Nordic Bronze Age...
and Viking art. Danish medieval painting is almost entirely known from church frescos
Church frescos in Denmark
Church frescos or church wall paintings are to be found in some 600 churches across Denmark, no doubt representing the highest concentration of surviving church murals anywhere in the world. Most of them date back to the Middle Ages...
such as those from the 16th century artist known as the Elmelunde Master
Elmelunde Master
The Elmelunde Master, Danish Elmelundemesteren, is the designation given to the nameless 16th century artist who painted the frescoes in the churches of Elmelunde, Fanefjord and Keldby on the island of Møn in south-eastern Denmark....
.
Thereafter for an extended period art in Denmark was either imported from Germany and the Netherlands or Danish artists studied abroad and produced work that was seldom inspired by Denmark itself. From the late 18th century on, the situation changed radically and beginning with the Danish Golden Age, a distinct tradition of Danish art has continued to flourish until today.
Nordic Bronze Age
Lur
A lur is a long natural blowing horn without finger holes that is played by embouchure. Lurs can be straight or curved in various shapes. The purpose of the curves was to make long instruments easier to carry A lur is a long natural blowing horn without finger holes that is played by embouchure....
s are a distinctive type of giant curving Bronze Age horn, of which 35 of the 53 known examples have been found in bogs in Denmark, very often in pairs. They are normally made of bronze, and often decorated.
A possibly alien find in Denmark is the Gundestrup cauldron
Gundestrup cauldron
The Gundestrup cauldron is a richly-decorated silver vessel, thought to date to the 1st century BC, placing it into the late La Tène period. It was found in 1891 in a peat bog near the hamlet of Gundestrup, in the Aars parish in Himmerland, Denmark...
, a richly-decorated silver vessel, thought to date to the 1st century BC. It was found in 1891 in a peat bog near the hamlet of Gundestrup in north-eastern Jutland. The silversmithing of the plates is very skilled. The bowl, 70 cm across, was beaten from a single ingot.
Now in the National Museum of Denmark
National Museum of Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen is Denmark’s largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main domicile is located a short distance from Strøget at the center of Copenhagen. It contains exhibits from around the world,...
, it is the largest known example of European silver work from the period. The style and workmanship suggest Thracian origin, while the imagery seems Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic, so it may not reflect local styles.
Norse art
The Germanic Iron AgeGermanic Iron Age
The Germanic Iron Age is the name given to the period 400–800 in Northern Europe and it is part of the continental Age of Migrations.-Germanic Iron :...
period of about 400-800 AD is represented by the Golden Horns of Gallehus
Golden horns of Gallehus
The Golden Horns of Gallehus were two horns made of sheet gold, discovered in Gallehus, north of Møgeltønder in South Jutland, Denmark.The horns date to the early 5th century, i.e. the beginning of the Germanic Iron Age....
, now known only from drawings since they were stolen and melted down in 1802, and significant deposits from weapons sacrifice
Weapons sacrifice
The Greeks and Romans set up trophies after victories in battle. These have left little archaeology . Normally, on dry land wood will rot, iron will rust and bronze would be reused...
such as that at Illerup Ådal
Illerup Ådal
Illerup Ådal is an archeological site located near Skanderborg, Denmark.The first findings at the river valley Illerup Ådal were revealed in 1950, during the drainage works. The area was excavated from 1950 till 1956 and again in 1975-1985. During the excavations more than 15,000 items, mainly Iron...
, where 15,000 items were found, deposited during the period 200-500.
Danish sites have given their names to two of the six main styles of Norse art
Norse art
Norse art is a blanket term for the artistic styles in Scandinavia during the Germanic Iron Age, the Viking Age , and sometimes even used when describing objects from the Nordic Bronze Age...
, Jelling style
Jelling style
The Jelling style is a phase of Scandinavian animal art during the 10th century. The style is characterized by markedly stylized and often band-shaped bodies of animals...
(10th century) and its successor Mammen style
Mammen style
The Mammen style is a phase of Scandinavian animal art during the late 10th century and the early 11th century. The style is named after finds from a chamber tomb in Mammen on Jutland, Denmark. The finds included a silver engraved axe of which one side shows a markedly stylized animal with long...
(10-11th centuries), though the other styles are also represented in Denmark. Only one Danish ship burial
Ship burial
A ship burial or boat grave is a burial in which a ship or boat is used either as a container for the dead and the grave goods, or as a part of the grave goods itself. If the ship is very small, it is called a boat grave...
is known, from Ladbyskibet. The images on the runestones at Jelling
Jelling stones
The Jelling stones are massive carved runestones from the 10th century, found at the town of Jelling in Denmark. The older of the two Jelling stones was raised by King Gorm the Old in memory of his wife Thyra...
are probably the best known Danish works of the period. Although little of their original paintwork remains today, copies of the largest stone in the National Museum of Denmark
National Museum of Denmark
The National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen is Denmark’s largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main domicile is located a short distance from Strøget at the center of Copenhagen. It contains exhibits from around the world,...
and in the museum at Jelling have been redecorated in vivid colours based on the fragments of paint which remained on the original.
Medieval church frescos
Church wall paintings (Danish: kalkmalerier) are to be found in some 600 churches across Denmark, no doubt representing the highest concentration of surviving church murals anywhere in the world. Most of them date back to the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. They lay hidden for centuries as after the reformation
Reformation in Denmark
The Reformation in Denmark–Norway and Holstein was the transition from Roman Catholicism to Lutheranism in the realms ruled by the Copenhagen-based House of Oldenburg in the first half of the sixteenth century...
, they were covered with limewash
Whitewash
Whitewash, or calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, or lime paint is a very low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime and chalk . Various other additives are also used...
(Danish: kalk) only to be revealed and restored during the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. Of most interest to Danish art are the Gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
paintings from the 15th and 16th centuries as they were painted in a style typical of native Danish painters. Adopting the Biblia pauperum
Biblia pauperum
The Biblia pauperum was a tradition of picture Bibles beginning in the later Middle Ages. They sought to portray the historical books of the Bible visually. Unlike a simple "illustrated Bible", where the pictures are subordinated to the text, these Bibles placed the illustration in the centre,...
approach, they present many of the most popular stories from the Old
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
s in typological
Typology (theology)
Typology in Christian theology and Biblical exegesis is a doctrine or theory concerning the relationship between the Old and New Testaments...
juxtapositions.
Renaissance to the 18th century
Panel painting
A panel painting is a painting made on a flat panel made of wood, either a single piece, or a number of pieces joined together. Until canvas became the more popular support medium in the 16th century, it was the normal form of support for a painting not on a wall or vellum, which was used for...
and painted wood-carving of the late Middle Ages was mostly by, or heavily influenced by, the prevailing North German styles, especially those of Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and other Hanseatic
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
cities. At the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
religious painting virtually ceased, and for a long period the most notable portraits of the royal family were made by foreign artists, such as Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style. He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire and Reformation propaganda, and made a significant contribution to the history...
's portrait of Christina of Denmark
Christina of Denmark
Christina of Denmark was a Danish princess who became Duchess-consort of Milan, then Duchess-consort of Lorraine...
. Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer
Albrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
's portrait of her father Christian II of Denmark
Christian II of Denmark
Christian II was King of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , during the Kalmar Union.-Background:...
, painted in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1521, has not survived, though portraits of him by other foreign artists have.
The establishment of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1754 followed the general European pattern, and was intended to develop a national school and reduce the need to import artists from other countries. After a period of development its pupils were indeed to lead the creation of a distinct Danish style. After an architect, the second Director was Johannes Wiedewelt
Johannes Wiedewelt
Johannes Wiedewelt , Danish neoclassical sculptor, was born in Copenhagen to royal sculptor to the Danish Court, Just Wiedewelt, and his wife Birgitte Lauridsdatter...
(1731–1802), a Neoclassical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
sculptor trained in Italy and France, who had followed his father as court sculptor, and is remembered for his memorials and garden decorations including the monument of King Frederick V
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
in Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral
Roskilde Cathedral , in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. The first Gothic cathedral to be built of brick, it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe...
and the Naval Monument in Holmens Cemetery. The first painter to lead it was the Swedish-born Carl Gustaf Pilo
Carl Gustaf Pilo
Carl Gustaf Pilo was a Swedish-born artist and painter, one of many 18th century European artists who had to leave their own country in order to make a living. Pilo worked extensively in Denmark as a painter to the Danish Court and as professor and director at the Royal Danish Academy of Art ,...
(c. 1711-1793), a portraitist and history painter in the grand style, and the next Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard
Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard
Nikolaj Abraham Abildgaard , Danish artist, was born in Copenhagen, the son of Søren Abildgaard, an antiquarian draughtsman of repute, and Anne Margrethe Bastholm.- Training as an artist :...
(1743–1809), himself an ex-student, who developed a Neo-Classical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
style. Leading Danish artists teaching at the Academy included Christian August Lorentzen
Christian August Lorentzen
Christian August Lorentzen was a Danish painter. He was the instructor of Martinus Rørbye.-Biography:Christian August Lorentzen was born on 10 August 1749 as the son of a watchmaker. He arrived in Copenhagen around 1771 where he frequented the Royal Academy of Fine Arts but it is unclear whether...
and Jens Juel
Jens Juel (painter)
Jens Juel was a Danish painter, primarily known for his many portraits, of which the largest collection is on display at Frederiksborg Castle.-Early life and career:...
, also later Director. Unlike in England, for example, most leading Danish artists for at least the next century trained at the Academy and often returned to teach there, and the tension between academic art
Academic art
Academic art is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which practiced under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism,...
and other styles is much less a feature of Danish art history than that of France, England or other countries.
A student of Abildgaard's period at the Academy was Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...
(1770–1844), by far the most famous Danish sculptor, who along with the Italian Canova was recognised across Europe as the leading Neoclassical sculptor. Among his works are the colossal series of statues of Christ
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and the twelve Apostles for the rebuilding of Vor Frue Kirke
Church of Our Lady (Copenhagen)
The Church of Our Lady is the cathedral of Copenhagen and the National Cathedral of Denmark. It is situated on Vor Frue Plads and next to the main building of the University of Copenhagen....
in Copenhagen. Motifs for his works (reliefs, statues, and busts) were drawn mostly from Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, but he also created portraits of important personalities, as in his tomb monument for Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII
Pope Pius VII , born Barnaba Niccolò Maria Luigi Chiaramonti, was a monk, theologian and bishop, who reigned as Pope from 14 March 1800 to 20 August 1823.-Early life:...
in St Peter's Basilica, Rome. His works can be seen in many European countries, but there is a very large collection at the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen. He was based in Rome for many years, and played an important role in encouraging young Danish artists spending time in the city. Another important Neoclassicist produced by the Academy was the painter Asmus Jacob Carstens
Asmus Jacob Carstens
Asmus Jacob Carstens was a Danish-German painter.-Biography:He was born in Sanct Jürgen near Schleswig to a miller. He had a youthful passion for painting, but was placed in a mercantile house...
, whose later career was all spent in Italy or Germany.
The establishment in 1775 of the Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory is a manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen 1 May 1775 under the protection of Queen Juliane Marie...
Porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
Factory was another royal initiative, typical of monarchies in the period, though the business has outlasted the great majority of such factories, and survives today as part of a larger group, which also includes the Kosta Glasbruk
Kosta Glasbruk
Kosta Glasbruk is a Swedish glassworks founded by two foreign officers in Charles XII's army, Anders Koskull and Georg Bogislaus Stael von Holstein, in 1742 . It is located in Kosta, Sweden...
glass company, founded in 1742 by two army officers, and the Orrefors Glasbruk (founded 1898), all known internationally.
The Golden Age
Golden Age of Danish Painting
The Danish Golden Age covers the period of creative production in Denmark, especially during the first half of the 19th century. Although Copenhagen had suffered from fires, bombardment and national bankruptcy, the arts took on a new period of creativity catalysed by Romanticism from Germany...
emerged to form a distinct national style for the first time since the Middle Ages; the period lasted until the middle of the 19th century. It has a style drawing on Dutch Golden Age painting
Dutch Golden Age painting
Dutch Golden Age painting is the painting of the Dutch Golden Age, a period in Dutch history generally spanning the 17th century, during and after the later part of the Eighty Years War for Dutch independence. The new Dutch Republic was the most prosperous nation in Europe, and led European trade,...
, especially its landscape painting, and depicting northern light that is soft but allows strong contrasts of colour. The treatment of scenes is typically an idealized version of reality, but unpretentiously so, appearing more realist
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
than is actually the case. Interior scenes, often small portrait groups, are also common, with a similar treatment of humble domestic objects and furniture, often of the artist's circle of friends. Little Danish art was seen outside the country (indeed it mostly remains there to this day) and the Danish-trained leader of German Romantic painting Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich
Caspar David Friedrich was a 19th-century German Romantic landscape painter, generally considered the most important German artist of his generation. He is best known for his mid-period allegorical landscapes which typically feature contemplative figures silhouetted against night skies, morning...
was important in spreading its influence in Germany.
A crucial figure was Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg
Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg was a Danish painter. He was born in Blåkrog in the Duchy of Schleswig , to Henrik Vilhelm Eckersberg, painter and carpenter, and Ingeborg Nielsdatter...
, who had studied in Paris with Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David was an influential French painter in the Neoclassical style, considered to be the preeminent painter of the era...
and was further influenced towards Neo-Classicism by Thorwaldsen. Eckersberg taught at the Academy from 1818 to 1853, becoming Director from 1827–28, and was an important influence on the following generation, in which landscape painting came to the fore. He taught most of the leading artists of the period, including:
- Wilhelm BendzWilhelm BendzWilhelm Ferdinand Bendz Danish painter mainly known for genre works and portrait which often portray his artist colleagues and their daily lives...
(1804–1832), remembered for his many technically accomplished portraits of fellow artists such as Ditlev BlunckDitlev BlunckDitlev Conrad Blunck was a Danish painter associated with the Danish Golden Age during the first half of the 19th century.-Biography:...
and Christen Christensen, a scene from the Academy's anatomy class, as well as the group portraits "A Tobacco Party" and "Artist in the Evening at Finck's Coffee House in Munich";
- Constantin HansenConstantin HansenCarl Christian Constantin Hansen was one of the painters associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting. He was deeply interested in literature and mythology, and inspired by art historian Niels Lauritz Høyen, he tried to recreate a national historical painting based on Norse mythology...
(1804–1880), deeply interested in literatureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and mythologyMythologyThe term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
, and inspired by Niels Laurits Høyen, he developed national historical paintingHistory paintingHistory painting is a genre in painting defined by subject matter rather than an artistic style, depicting a moment in a narrative story, rather than a static subject such as a portrait...
based on Norse mythologyNorse mythologyNorse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
and painted many portraits, including the historical The Constitutional Assembly (Den grundlovgivende Rigsforsamling); - Christen KøbkeChristen KøbkeChristen Schiellerup Købke , Danish painter, was born in Copenhagen to Peter Berendt Købke, a baker, and his wife Cecilie Margrete. He was one of 11 children...
(1810–48), influenced by Niels Laurits Høyen, an art historian who promoted a nationalistic approach calling for artists to search for subject matter in the folk life of their country instead of searching for themes in other countries such as Italy; - Wilhelm MarstrandWilhelm MarstrandNicolai Wilhelm Nikolaj Marstrand , painter and illustrator, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark to Nicolai Jacob Marstrand, instrument maker and inventor, and Petra Othilia Smith...
(1810–1873), a vastly productive artist who mastered a remarkable variety of genres, remembered especially for a number of his works which have become familiar signposts of Danish history and culture: scenes from the drawing-rooms and streets of Copenhagen during his younger days; the festivity and public life captured in Rome; the many representative portraits of citizens and innovators; even the monumentalist commissions for universities and the monarchy; - Martinus RørbyeMartinus RørbyeMartinus Christian Wesseltoft Rørbye was a Danish painter, known both for genre works and landscapes. He was a central figure of the Golden Age of Danish painting during the first half of the 19th century....
(1803–1848), remembered for his genre paintingGenre paintingGenre works, also called genre scenes or genre views, are pictorial representations in any of various media that represent scenes or events from everyday life, such as markets, domestic settings, interiors, parties, inn scenes, and street scenes. Such representations may be realistic, imagined, or...
s of Copenhagen, for his landscapes and for his architectural paintings, as well as for the many sketches he made during his travels to countries rarely explored at the time.
Among other artists, C.A. Jensen (1792–1870) specialized almost exclusively in portraits.
At the end of the period painting style, especially in landscape art, became caught up in the political issue of the Schleswig-Holstein Question
Schleswig-Holstein Question
The Schleswig-Holstein Question was a complex of diplomatic and other issues arising in the 19th century from the relations of two duchies, Schleswig and Holstein , to the Danish crown and to the German Confederation....
, a vital matter for Danes, but notoriously impenetrable for most others in Europe.
Later 19th century
- Jørgen RoedJørgen RoedJørgen Roed, , Danish portrait and genre painter associated with the Golden Age of Danish Painting, was born in Ringsted to Peder Jørgensen Roed and wife, Ellen Hansdatter.-Growing up:...
(1808–1888), who painted many portraits as well as a number of altarpieces and religious paintings, including Jesu Korsfæstelse (Crucifixion of Jesus) for the restored church at Frederiksborg PalaceFrederiksborg PalaceFrederiksborg castle is a castle in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV, and is now known as The Museum of National History. The current building replaced a previous castle erected by Frederick II, and is the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia...
; - Johan LundbyeJohan LundbyeJohan Thomas Lundbye was a promising young Danish painter and graphic artist, known for his animal and landscape paintings who died at the age of 29...
(1818–1848), remembered for his animal paintings and landscapes, especially those of Sealand including the large Kystparti ved Isefjord (Coast View by Isefjord); - P.C. Skovgaard (1817–1875), primarily known for his landscape paintings, for the special role he played in portraying Denmark’s nature, helping to develop a unique Danish art form, and his growing interest in portraying atmosphere and light.
Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann
Anna Maria Elisabeth Lisinska Jerichau-Baumann was a Polish-born Danish painter. She was married to the sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau.-Early life and career:...
(1819–1881) was born in Żoliborz
Zoliborz
Żoliborz is one of the northern districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is one of the smallest boroughs of Warsaw....
(Jolibord) a borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
but moved to Denmark when she married Danish sculptor Jens Adolf Jerichau
Jens Adolf Jerichau
Emil Jens Baumann Adolf Jerichau was a Danish sculptor. He belonged to the generation immediately after Bertel Thorvaldsen, for whom he worked briefly in Tome, but gradually moved away from the static Neoclassicism he inherited from him and towards a more dynamic and realistic style.He was a...
in 1846. She is best known for her portraits and was commissioned by the Danish Royal Family
Danish Royal Family
The Danish Royal Family includes the Queen of Denmark and her family. All members except the Queen hold the title of Prince/Princess of Denmark with the style of His/Her Royal Highness or His/Her Highness. The Queen is styled Her Majesty. The Queen and her siblings belong to the House of...
to paint their portraits to the annoyance and jealousy of local artists. The mild eroticism of a few of her paintings was looked upon unfavourably by many at the time but she remained aloof, perhaps reassured by the fact that some of her husband's sculptures were erotic in nature.
Carl Heinrich Bloch
Carl Heinrich Bloch
Carl Heinrich Bloch was a Danish painter.He was born in Copenhagen and studied with Wilhelm Marstrand at the Royal Danish Academy of Art there. Bloch's parents wanted their son to enter a respectable profession - an officer in the Navy. This, however, was not what Carl wanted...
(1834–1890) was a rare Danish history painter, mostly of Biblical subjects, who developed his academic
Academic art
Academic art is a style of painting and sculpture produced under the influence of European academies of art. Specifically, academic art is the art and artists influenced by the standards of the French Académie des Beaux-Arts, which practiced under the movements of Neoclassicism and Romanticism,...
style in Italy before returning to Copenhagen in 1866. He was commissioned to produce 23 paintings for the Chapel at Frederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg Palace
Frederiksborg castle is a castle in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV, and is now known as The Museum of National History. The current building replaced a previous castle erected by Frederick II, and is the largest Renaissance palace in Scandinavia...
consisting of scenes from the life of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
which have become very popular as illustrations. For over 40 years the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made much use of Carl Bloch's paintings, especially those from the Frederiksborg Palace collection, in its church buildings and printed media.
Edvard Eriksen
Edvard Eriksen
Edvard Eriksen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor. He is best known as the creator of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, which he completed in 1913.-External links:...
(1876–1959) is best known as the sculptor of the bronze Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (statue)
The statue of The Little Mermaid sits on a rock in the harbour of the capital of Denmark. Based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and a major tourist attraction....
statue in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen
Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author, fairy tale writer, and poet noted for his children's stories. These include "The Steadfast Tin Soldier," "The Snow Queen," "The Little Mermaid," "Thumbelina," "The Little Match Girl," and "The Ugly Duckling."...
, he completed the work in 1913.
The Skagen and Funen movements
Holger Drachmann
Holger Henrik Herholdt Drachmann , was a Danish poet and dramatist. He is an outstanding figure of the Modern Break-Through....
(1846–1908) and Karl Madsen
Karl Madsen
Carl Johan Wilhelm Madsen, commonly known as Karl Madsen, was a Danish painter and art historian who after close connections with the Skagen Painters joined the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts where he was museum director from 1911–1925....
(1855–1938) visited Skagen
Skagen
Skagen is a projection of land and a town, with a population of 8,515 , in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark...
in the far north of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
where they quickly built up one of Scandinavia's most successful artists' colonies
Skagen Painters
The Skagen Painters were a group of Scandinavian artists who gathered in the area of Skagen, the northernmost part of Denmark, from the late 1870s until the turn of the century...
. They were soon joined by P.S. Krøyer (1851–1909), Carl Locher
Carl Locher
Carl Locher was a Danish realist painter who from an early age became a member of the Skagen group of painters.-Biography:...
(1851–1915), Laurits Tuxen
Laurits Tuxen
Laurits Tuxen was a Danish painter and sculptor, sculptor, specialising in figure painting. He was also associated with the Skagen Painters...
(1853–1927), the Norwegian Christian Skredsvig
Christian Skredsvig
Christian Skredsvig was a Norwegian painter and writer. He is especially well known for his picturesque paintings.-Biography:Christian Skredsvig was born in Modum, Buskerud in 1854. When he was 15 years old he became a pupil at the Eckersberg drawing and paint school in Christiania . He later...
(1854–1924) and Michael (1849–1927) and Anna Ancher
Anna Ancher
Anna Ancher was a Danish artist associated with the Skagen Painters, an artists' colony in the very north of Jutland.-Background:...
(1859–1935). All participated in painting the natural surroundings and local people. The symbolist Jens Ferdinand Willumsen
Jens Ferdinand Willumsen
Jens Ferdinand Willumsen was a Danish artist who was associated with the movements of Symbolism and Expressionism. Although he was Danish, Willumsen lived almost half of his life in France...
(1863–1958) also visited the Skagen community.
A little later, at the very beinning of the 20th century, a similar phenomenon developed on the island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
with the encouragement of Johannes Larsen
Johannes Larsen
Johannes Larsen was a Danish nature painter.-Biography:Born in Kerteminde on Funen, Larsen studied art at the Free School in Copenhagen under Kristian Zahrtmann in the 1880s. There he met other painters from Funen, notably Fritz Syberg and Peter Hansen, both from the southern port of Faaborg, and...
(1867–1961) and the inspiration of Theodor Philipsen
Theodor Philipsen
Theodor Philipsen was a Danish painter.Philipsen has been considered an innovator of 19th century Danish art. He took Danish art into a new level of impressionism and naturalism. He was influenced by French art, this influence beginning in his first time in Paris from 1874–1876...
. The Fynboerne or Funen Painters
Funen Painters
The Funen Painters or Fynboerne were a loose group of Danish artists who formed an art colony on the island of Funen at the very beginning of the 20th century. They were strongly influenced by Kristian Zahrtmann who taught at the Artists Studio School in Copenhagen from 1885 to 1908...
included: Peter Hansen
Peter Hansen (painter)
Peter Marius Hansen was a Danish painter who became one of the Fynboerne or "Funen Painters" group living and working on the island of Funen.-Biography:...
, Fritz Syberg
Fritz Syberg
Christian Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Syberg, generally known as Fritz Syberg, was a Danish painter and illustrator, one of the reactionary Fynboerne or "Funen Painters" group living and working on the island of Funen.-Biography:Syberg, from a poor background in Fåborg, first served a house...
, Jens Birkholm, Karl Schou, Harald Giersing
Harald Giersing
Harald Giersing , a Danish painter, was instrumental in developing the classic modernism movement in Denmark around 1910-1920...
, Anna Syberg
Anna Syberg
Anna Louise Birgitte Syberg was a Danish painter who, together with her husband Fritz Syberg, was one of the Fynboerne or "Funen Artists" who lived and worked on the island of Funen...
, Christine Swane
Christine Swane
Christine Swane née Christine Larsen was a Danish painter who first associated with the Funen Painters before developing her own increasingly Cubist style.-Biography:...
and Alhed Larsen
Alhed Larsen
Alhed Maria Larsen née Warberg , the wife of Johannes Larsen, was one of the Fynboerne or "Funen Artists" who lived and worked on the Danish island of Funen.-Biography:...
.
Modernism and expressionism
Theodor PhilipsenTheodor Philipsen
Theodor Philipsen was a Danish painter.Philipsen has been considered an innovator of 19th century Danish art. He took Danish art into a new level of impressionism and naturalism. He was influenced by French art, this influence beginning in his first time in Paris from 1874–1876...
(1840–1920) through his personal contact with Paul Gauguin
Paul Gauguin
Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin was a leading French Post-Impressionist artist. He was an important figure in the Symbolist movement as a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramist, and writer...
became the sole Danish impressionist of his generation.
Laurits Andersen Ring (1854–1933), famous for his involvement in Danish symbolism
Symbolism (arts)
Symbolism was a late nineteenth-century art movement of French, Russian and Belgian origin in poetry and other arts. In literature, the style had its beginnings with the publication Les Fleurs du mal by Charles Baudelaire...
, specialised in paintings of village life and landscapes in the south of Zealand.
Paul Gustave Fischer
Paul Gustave Fischer
Paul Gustave Fischer was a Danish painter.Paul Fischer belongs to the fourth generation of Fischers to live in Denmark. This Jewish family originally came from Poland...
(1860–1934) was a romantic impressionistic painter specialising in city street scenes and bright bathing compositions.
Vilhelm Hammershøi
Vilhelm Hammershøi
Vilhelm Hammershøi , often written in English Vilhelm Hammershoi , was a Danish painter. He is known for his poetic, low-key portraits and interiors. In 1997, Denmark issued a postage stamp in his honor.-Life:...
(1864–1916) was considered something of an enigma in his lifetime but is now remembered mainly for his subdued paintings of interiors, usually empty spaces but occasionally with a solitary figure.
Danish expressionist
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
landscape painting developed between the world wars with Jens Søndergaard
Jens Søndergaard
Jens Søndergaard was a Danish expressionist painter. He specialised in strongly coloured landscapes depicting his feelings for the power of nature and the sea. Søndergaard won both national and international acclaim.-Biography:...
and Oluf Høst
Oluf Høst
Oluf Høst was the only member of the Bornholm school of painters who was a real Bornholmer. Although he had studied in Copenhagen, he returned to the Danish island of Bornholm in 1929 where he remained with his family until he died. Bognemark, the little farmhouse near Gudhjem was one of Høst's...
as its main representatives. In parallel, younger artists such as Niels Lergaard
Niels Lergaard
Niels Lergaard was a Danish painter. After training as a house painter, he spent a few years in Norway, where he became interested in Norwegian landscape painting...
, Lauritz Hartz
Lauritz Hartz
Lauritz Hartz was a Danish artist, considered to be one of the country's finest colourists.Hartz studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen under Sigurd Wandel and Aksel Jørgensen where he quickly gained a reputation as a talented artist.Suffering from schizophrenia, his health...
and Karl Bovin
Karl Bovin
Karl Bovin was a Danish painter who specialized in landscapes of his native Odsherred in the north west of Zealand.He was interested in art from an early age. In the 1920s, he cycled to the artists paradise Skagen in the north of Jutland to show Anna and Michael Ancher some of his early work...
adopted the light French colours and formalism of modernism
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
, founding the Corner group of artists
Corner painters
The Corner painters in Denmark first came together in 1932 when they decided to hold an exhibition in a meeting hall inside an office building on the corner of Vester Voldgade and Studiestræde in the centre of Copenhagen...
in 1932. Around the same time, Edvard Weie
Edvard Weie
Viggo Thorvald Edvard Weie was a Danish painter. His style was influenced by journeys to Italy and Paris where he came into contact with French impressionists such as Cézanne....
, the Swedish artist Karl Isakson
Karl Isakson
Karl Oscar Isakson was a Swedish painter who spent much of his professional life in Denmark where he is considered to be one of the fathers of Modernism. He had close associations with the Bornholm school of painters and made many paintings of Christiansø.-Biography:Isakson was brought up in...
, Olaf Rude
Olaf Rude
Olaf Rude was a Danish painter who was born in Estonia. As a child, he moved with his family to Frejlev on the island of Lolland. He is remembered in particular for his paintings of oak trees at Skejten on Lolland, two of which can be seen at Christiansborg.In 1905, he studied at the Copenhagen...
, Kræsten Iversen
Kræsten Iversen
Kristen "Kræsten" Iversen was a Danish artist who is remembered both for his paintings and his painted glass windows.While studying at Copenhagen's Technical Academy, he quickly developed contacts with the artists of the day. By 1919, his colourful work was already being successfully exhibited...
, Oluf Høst
Oluf Høst
Oluf Høst was the only member of the Bornholm school of painters who was a real Bornholmer. Although he had studied in Copenhagen, he returned to the Danish island of Bornholm in 1929 where he remained with his family until he died. Bognemark, the little farmhouse near Gudhjem was one of Høst's...
and Niels Lergaard
Niels Lergaard
Niels Lergaard was a Danish painter. After training as a house painter, he spent a few years in Norway, where he became interested in Norwegian landscape painting...
were attracted by the natural beauty of the Baltic islands of Bornholm
Bornholm
Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea located to the east of the rest of Denmark, the south of Sweden, and the north of Poland. The main industries on the island include fishing, arts and crafts like glass making and pottery using locally worked clay, and dairy farming. Tourism is...
and the much smaller Christiansø. Together they initiated the so-called Bornholm School
Bornholm school of painters
The Bornholm school of painters started to take shape towards the beginning of the 20th century on the Danish island of Bornholm when a number of artists developed a distinctive style of classic modernism, inspired by the island's unique landscapes and light...
providing the basis of the permanent exhibition at the Bornholm Art Museum
Bornholm Art Museum
The Bornholm Art Museum is situated on the Danish island of Bornholm, above the Sanctuary Rocks about six kilometres north-west of Gudhjem. The building was constructed in 1993 and enlarged in 2003...
near Gudhjem
Gudhjem
Gudhjem is a small town and fishing port on the northern coast of the Baltic island of Bornholm, Denmark. Its population is 724 ....
. Painters of nature and everyday life such as Erik Hoppe
Erik Hoppe
Erik Hoppe was a Danish painter who is remembered for his paintings from the Copenhagen area, especially those with young ladies in the park at Valby....
and Knud Agger initiated the highly successful Grønningen
Grønningen
Grønningen is a Danish artists cooperative whose members arrange exhibitions and similar events. Founded in 1915, it is one of the oldest and most important groupings of its kind and currently has 54 members...
association which provided a platform for exhibitions in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
.
Sigurd Swane
Sigurd Swane
Sigurd Swane was a Danish painter and writer. He studied in Copenhagen at the Royal Danish Academy of Art....
(1879–1973) was initially influenced by the work of the Fauves
Fauvism
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves , a short-lived and loose group of early twentieth-century Modern artists whose works emphasized painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism...
in Paris when he began a series of paintings of woodlands rich in greens, yellows and blues. He later painted a number of light-filled landscapes while living on a farm in Odsherred
Odsherred
Odsherred is a peninsula in the north-western part of the island Zealand in Denmark. Odsherred is stretching from the Sjællands Odde in the north-west to the now drained fjord Lammefjord in the south, covering an area with a wide range of the most typical Danish landscapes such as long sandy...
in north-western Zealand.
Harald Giersing
Harald Giersing
Harald Giersing , a Danish painter, was instrumental in developing the classic modernism movement in Denmark around 1910-1920...
(1881–1927) was instrumental in developing the classic modernism movement in Denmark around 1910-1920.
Vilhelm Lundstrøm
Vilhelm Lundstrøm
Vilhelm Lundstrøm was one of Denmark's most successful modernist painters. It was he who introduced French cubism to Denmark.He was educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Art where he studied under Rostrup Böyesen....
( 1893–1950), one of the greatest modernists, brought French cubism
Cubism
Cubism was a 20th century avant-garde art movement, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture...
to Denmark. He is remembered for his still-life paintings with oranges and for cubistic scenes with nudes. His later work developed into much looser modern art with contrasting colours and form.
Richard Mortensen
Richard Mortensen
Richard Mortensen was a Danish painter.Mortensen studied between 1931 and 1932 at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen. Influenced by the works of Wassily Kandinsky, he developed an abstract style...
(1910–1993) was an important surrealistic painter, inspired by Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky was an influential Russian painter and art theorist. He is credited with painting the first purely-abstract works. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow, studying law and economics...
. He was a joint founder of the "Linien" group of artists and also a member of the Grønningen group. His later expressionist works exhibit large, clear, brightly coloured surfaces.
Asger Jorn
Asger Jorn
Asger Oluf Jorn was a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author. He was a founding member of the avant-garde movement COBRA and the Situationist International...
(1914–1973) was a Danish artist, sculptor, writer and ceramist. Looking for inspiration outside Denmark, he traveled widely. After meeting artists such as Constant Nieuwenhuys
Constant Nieuwenhuys
Constant Anton Nieuwenhuys was a Dutch painter, and one of the foremost innovators of Unitary Urbanism. In 1941, he became deeply interested in the work of Paul Cézanne, Cubism and German Expressionism....
, Appel
Karel Appel
Christiaan Karel Appel was a Dutch painter, sculptor, and poet. He started painting at the age of fourteen and studied at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam in the 1940s...
and Dotremont
Christian Dotremont
Christian Dotremont, , was a Belgian painter and poet who was born in Tervuren, Belgium. He was a founding member of the group Cobra, and later became well known for his painted poems, which he called logograms....
, he became the driving force behind the Cobra group
COBRA (avant-garde movement)
COBRA was a European avant-garde movement active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home cities: Copenhagen , Brussels , Amsterdam .-History:...
where he excelled in ceramics but also continued to paint in oils.
Danish design
Danish design
Danish Design is a term often used to describe a style of functionalistic design and architecture that was developed in mid-20th century. Influenced by the German Bauhaus school, many Danish designers used the new industrial technologies, combined with ideas of simplicity and functionalism to...
became of international importance in the decades after World War II, especially in furniture, where it pioneered a style sometimes known as Danish modern
Danish modern
Danish modern, frequently capitalized as Danish Modern, is a vintage style of minimalist wood furniture from Denmark associated with the Danish design movement...
, the forerunner of the general Scandinavian Design
Scandinavian Design
Scandinavian design emerged in the 1950s in the three Scandinavian countries , as well as Finland. It is a design movement characterized by simple designs, minimalism, functionality, and low-cost mass production....
style popularized by IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
. Important designers include Finn Juhl
Finn Juhl
Finn Juhl was a Danish architect, interior and industrial designer, most known for his furniture design. He was one of the leading figures in the creation of "Danish design" in the 1940s and he was the designer who introduced Danish Modern to America.-Early life and education:Finn Juhl was born on...
(1912–1989), Hans Wegner
Hans Wegner
Hans Jørgen Wegner, , was a successful Danish furniture designer who contributed to the international popularity of mid-century Danish design. His work belongs to a modernist school with emphasis on functionality. He is probably best known for his chairs.-Early years:Born to cobbler Peter M...
(1914–2007) and Arne Jacobsen
Arne Jacobsen
Arne Emil Jacobsen, usually known as Arne Jacobsen, was a Danish architect and designer. He is remembered for contributing so much to architectural Functionalism as well as for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple but effective chair designs.-Early life and education:Arne Jacobsen was born...
(1902–1971).
Contemporary art
Collections of modern art enjoy unusually attractive settings at the Louisiana MuseumLouisiana Museum
Louisiana Museum can refer to:*Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark*Louisiana State Museum in the United States...
north of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
and at the North Jutland Art Museum in Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....
. The National Museum of Art
Statens Museum for Kunst
Statens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
and the Glyptotek
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark...
, both in Copenhagen, contain treasures of Danish and international art.
- Richard WintherRichard WintherRichard Winther was considered one of the major Danish artists of the 20th century. He explored the arts extensively and his prolific career focused mainly on painting, graphics, photography and sculpture...
(1926-2007) a talented Danish artist, started his long career in the arts aged 10. He worked on themes exploring mediums such as painting, photography, and ceramics. He is considered as one of the founders of the Linien II movement, part of concrete art at the time. Several known artists today have been greatly influenced by Richard Winther. Many of his paintings were done on canvas and masonite, but in an effort to simplify his art he not only diminished the number of colors he used but also switched to paint on cardboard. He was not shy about revisiting a theme and many years later amended some of his works. Also several of his works are presented on both sides of the same cardboard. He used photographic cameras to compose art and when he was not satisfied with the capabilities of the machines, he started making his own designs. He is known for his 360 degree cameras, instruments which are objects of art in themselves. Among the many prizes he was awarded, were the Eckersberg Medal (1971), Thorvaldsen Medal (1997) and the Prince Eugen Medal.
- Per KirkebyPer KirkebyPer Kirkeby is a Danish painter, poet, filmmaker and sculptor.-Biography:1962 Studies at the Experimental Art School in Copenhagen; works in the School on painting, graphic arts, 8 millimeter films and performance pieces...
(born 1938) has produced an impressive body of neo-expressionisticNeo-expressionismNeo-expressionism is a style of modern painting and sculpture that emerged in the late 1970s and dominated the art market until the mid-1980s...
artwork on masoniteMasoniteMasonite is a type of hardboard invented by William H. Mason.-History:Masonite was invented in 1924 in Laurel, Mississippi, by William H. Mason. Mass production started in 1929. In the 1930s and 1940s Masonite was used for many applications including doors, roofing, walls, desktops, and canoes...
, canvas, blackboards and paper as well as various sculptures and even architecture. Initially interested in pop artPop artPop art is an art movement that emerged in the mid 1950s in Britain and in the late 1950s in the United States. Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art...
, his colourful paintings have been exhibited widely, most recently at the Tate ModernTate ModernTate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group . It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year...
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Educated as a geologist, his interest in terrain and nature in general is still in evidence in his painting.
- Merete BarkerMerete BarkerMerete Barker is a Danish artist who uses sketches and photographs from her many travels as the basis for highly expressive paintings where it is often difficult to distinguish between nature and culture.-Career:...
(born 1944) uses sketches and photographs from her many travels as the basis for highly expressive paintings where it is often difficult to distinguish between nature and culture.
- Elmgreen and DragsetElmgreen and DragsetMichael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset are artist-collaborators since 1995 and their work explores the relationship between art, architecture and design....
have worked together since 1995 producing work which explores the relationship between art, architecture and design. Michael Elmgreen (born 1961), a Dane, and Ingar Dragset (born 1968), a NorwegianNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
draw on institutional critique, social politics, performance and architecture, reconfiguring everyday objects and situations with wit and subversive humour.
- Tal RTal RTal R is an artist based in Copenhagen.Tal R studied at Billedskolen, Copenhagen, 1986–1988 and at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, 1994–2000....
, born in IsraelIsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1967, produces wild and colourful paintings, combining shapes and imagery with a reduced palette consisting of black, white, pink, green, red, yellow and brown. Inspired by everything from the Holocaust to children's comic bookComic bookA comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s, his widely-exhibited work builds on the old tradition of autonomy and expression.
- Olafur EliassonOlafur EliassonOlafur Eliasson is a Danish-Icelandic artist known for sculptures and large-scale installation art employing elemental materials such as light, water, and air temperature to enhance the viewer’s experience. In 1995 he established Studio Olafur Eliasson in Berlin, a laboratory for spatial research...
(born 1967) has attracted wide interest in his public space exhibitions such as the New York City WaterfallsNew York City WaterfallsNew York City Waterfalls is a public art project by artist Olafur Eliasson, in collaboration with the Public Art Fund, consisting of four man-made waterfalls placed around New York City along the East River. At $15.5 million, it is the most expensive public arts project since Christo and...
(2008), the Weather Project at London's Tate ModernTate ModernTate Modern is a modern art gallery located in London, England. It is Britain's national gallery of international modern art and forms part of the Tate group . It is the most-visited modern art gallery in the world, with around 4.7 million visitors per year...
gallery in 2003 and the Take Your Time exhibit at MoMA in New York (2008).
- Jeppe HeinJeppe HeinJeppe Hein is an artist based in Berlin and Copenhagen. Hein is widely known for his production of experiential and interactive artworks that can be positioned at the junction where art, architecture, and technical inventions intersect...
(born 1974) produces interactive art works or installations, often activated by the spectator. Among these are his Shaking Cube (2004), Moving Benches (2000), The Curve (2007) and his Space in Action / Action in Space (2002) exhibited at the 2003 Venice BiennaleVenice BiennaleThe Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
. He is now working on a major exhibit for the Danish pavilion at Expo 2010 in ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
Margrethe II's tapestries
On the occasion of her 50th birthday in 1990, Queen Margrethe II decided to use a gift from industry of 13 million Danish crowns to produce a series of tapestries tracing the history of Denmark from the beginnings to the present day. Woven by the historic Manufacture des GobelinsGobelins manufactory
The Manufacture des Gobelins is a tapestry factory located in Paris, France, at 42 avenue des Gobelins, near the Les Gobelins métro station in the XIIIe arrondissement...
in Paris, the tapestries were based on full-sized sketches by the versatile Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard
Bjørn Nørgaard
Bjørn Nørgaard is a Danish artist who has been active in a variety of fields. He has significantly influenced the art scene in Denmark both through his "happenings" and his sculptures in Danish cities...
. Completed in 1999, they now hang in the Great Hall at Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace
Christiansborg Palace, , on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, is the seat of the Folketing , the Danish Prime Minister's Office and the Danish Supreme Court...
.
World-class architects
Following in the footsteps of Arne JacobsenArne Jacobsen
Arne Emil Jacobsen, usually known as Arne Jacobsen, was a Danish architect and designer. He is remembered for contributing so much to architectural Functionalism as well as for the worldwide success he enjoyed with simple but effective chair designs.-Early life and education:Arne Jacobsen was born...
, Denmark has had some outstanding successes in contemporary architecture. Johann Otto von Spreckelsen
Johann Otto von Spreckelsen
Johann Otto von Spreckelsen was a Danish architect.He was born in Viborg and studied at the Viborg Katedralskole and Royal Academy of Arts in Copenhagen, and later served as director up to his death....
, relying on simple geometrical figures, designed the Grande Arche
Grande Arche
La Grande Arche de la Défense is a monument and building in the business district of La Défense and in the commune of Puteaux, to the west of Paris, France...
at La Défense
La Défense
La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux...
in Paris. Prolific Henning Larsen
Henning Larsen
Henning Larsen is a Danish architect.He is internationally known for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Riyadhand the Copenhagen Opera House...
designed the Foreign Ministry building in Riyadh
Riyadh
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
, as well as a variety of prestige buildings throughout Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
, including the recently completed Copenhagen Opera House. Jørn Utzon
Jørn Utzon
Jørn Oberg Utzon, , AC was a Danish architect, most notable for designing the Sydney Opera House in Australia. When it was declared a World Heritage Site on 28 June 2007, Utzon became only the second person to have received such recognition for one of his works during his lifetime...
's iconic Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
earned him the distinction of becoming only the second person to have his work recognized as a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
while still alive.
Museums
The most significant museums for Danish art are:- In Copenhagen:
- Statens Museum for KunstStatens Museum for KunstStatens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
- Ny Carlsberg GlyptotekNy Carlsberg GlyptotekThe Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark...
- The Hirschsprung CollectionThe Hirschsprung CollectionThe Hirschsprung Collection is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is located in a parkland setting in Østre Anlæg, near the Danish National Gallery, and houses a large collection of Danish art from the 19th and early 20th century...
- Danish Museum of Art & Design, mainly modern design
- Statens Museum for Kunst
- Elsewhere:
- ARoS Aarhus KunstmuseumARoS Aarhus KunstmuseumARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum is an art museum in Aarhus. ARoS is one of the largest art museums in northern Europe, 10 storeys tall with a total of 17,000 m². The museum opened on 8 April 2004 after a construction process that started with Danish architects schmidt hammer lassen winning the design...
- Louisiana Museum of Modern ArtLouisiana Museum of Modern ArtThe Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is an art museum located directly on the shore of the Øresund Sound in Humlebæk, north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the most visited art museum in Denmark with an extensive permanent collection of modern and contemporary art, dating from World War II and up...
- Funen's Art MuseumFunen's Art MuseumFunen's Art Museum , formerly The Museum of Funen's Abbey and Museum Civitatis Othiniensis, founded in 1885, is an art museum in Odense, Denmark....
, Odense - Museum Jorn, SilkeborgMuseum Jorn, SilkeborgMuseum Jorn, Silkeborg, is a Danish Art museum located in beautiful surroundings by Gudenåen in Silkeborg, Denmark....
- ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum
and others in :Category:Art museums and galleries in Denmark.