Pioneers
The creation of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1754 by Frederick V marked the birth of a national school: young artists trained at home went on to study in Italy, often in Rome. Such was the case of Nikolai Abildgaard (1743-1809). Sculptor and architect, he imposed the neoclassical style, drawing his subjects from Greco-Roman mythology. His contemporary and friend Jens Juhel (1745-1802), also trained in Rome, became the portraitist of the court and Copenhagen's elite from 1780 onwards. However, it was the neoclassical sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844) who ushered in the rise of Danish art. Long based in Rome, he established himself as the master of sculpture. If you're passionate about idealized bodies, the Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen is the place to be.
Two other names are worth remembering. The painter Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg (1783-1853), trained in Paris with Jacques-Louis David. He excelled in historical paintings, seascapes and official portraits. But his importance lay above all in his teaching of plein-air painting. Carl Gustaf Pilo (1711-1793), born in Sweden, worked mainly in Denmark as a court painter and Academy director. In addition to official portraits, he painted Dutch-inspired genre scenes.
The Golden Age
The next generation is sometimes referred to as "National Romanticism". Artists set out to paint Danish landscapes, monuments and popular scenes. This trend is represented by Christen Købke (1810-1848), whose favorite subject was rural Copenhagen, and Wilhelm Marstrand (1810-1873), whose genre scenes were often caustic. Johan Thomas Lundbye (1818-1848) and Peter Christian Skovgaard (1817-1875) focused more on landscapes. Unfortunately, the exaltation of national values did not allow Danish art to seduce Europe, let alone Paris, then the art capital of the world.
The Danish Golden Age from 1750 to 1900 is mainly exhibited at the National Museum of Fine Arts (Statens Museum for Kunst). More generally, the SMK presents Western art from the 14th century to the present day. Don't miss the Sculpture Alley, a covered passageway linking the two museum buildings. In the wing devoted to the twentieth century, the evolution towards modernity, expressionism, surrealism and contemporary art is explored through works by Per Kirkeby, Danh Vo and Ursula Reuter Christiansen. Equally exceptional, the Glyptothèque Ny Carlsberg holds a rich collection of works from the Golden Age alongside creations by Gauguin, Matisse and Rodin in its modern section. Stop by its sculpture department, which covers the entire history of art from antiquity to the 20th century.
Refusal of academicism
While the Skagen School perpetuated a more folkloric trend, Anna Ancher (1859-1935), Peter Severin Krøyer (1851-1909) and Theodor Philipsen (1840-1929) turned to Impressionism. A number of Danish artists who went abroad were introduced to innovative trends. Notably Emilie Mundt (1842-1922), Danish painter and feminist, who painted four-handed with Marie Luplau. On their return, they founded an art school for women painters.
In this context, Wilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) stands out with his realism imbued with mystery, emptiness and poetry. His models were the people closest to him, often his wife, depicted in their homes. His work has become world-famous and can be seen in several of the city's museums. The David Collection exhibits 14 of his paintings in its section devoted to Danish modern art, which brings together paintings, sculptures and ceramics produced between 1880 and 1950.
Another non-conformist rebellion was the Free Exhibition, a variant of the Salon des Refusés, founded in 1881 by Jens Ferdinand Willumsen (1863-1958), Peter Hansen (1868-1928) and Johannes Larsen (1867-1961). These painters were the first to use photography to enrich their pictorial approach. Adopted in its infancy in Denmark, photography divided opinion until the 1970s: was it a technique or an art in its own right? For Willumsen, Peder Severin Krøyer and Laurits Andersen Ring, photography provided access to realistic details that could then be transcribed into paint.
Entry into the 20th century
At the turn of the 20th century, scandal followed scandal: in 1918, with Vilhelm Lundstrøm (1893-1950), the first Danish cubist in his still lifes with oranges and nudes, followed by Edvard Weie (1879-1943) moving towards abstraction, where Eljer Bille (1910-2004) would make his mark.Expressionism imported from Germany was mainly represented by Oluf Høst (1884-1966), sculptor Astrid Noack (1888-1954) and painter Jens Søndergaard (1895-1957). The latter, a member of the Grønningen group, trained in France and Italy before specializing in landscapes whose vivid colors conveyed the fulgurating intensity of his emotions.
Richard Mortensen (1910-1993) was also a member of the Grønningen association. His expressionist painting reached its peak during the war. A pioneer of abstract art, he took a close interest in the work of Kandinsky and Miró before making a detour into Surrealism.
Surrealism and CoBrA
Surrealism in turn deeply shocked Danish puritanism. The paintings of Wilhelm Freddie (1909-1995) were confiscated by the police in 1937.
A major Nordic movement: CoBrA, founded in Paris in 1948 by Danish painter Asger Jørn, Belgian writer Christian Dotremont and Dutch sculptor Karel Appel. The name CoBrA recalls their respective hometowns: Copenhagen, Brussels and Amsterdam. Joined by other artists (for Denmark, Erik Thommesen, born in 1916, and Henry Heerup, 1907-1993), this movement aimed to shake up academic art by disturbing the public eye. Its aim was to promote authentic, realistic folk art. Primitive art, spontaneous expression: the aim was to unleash the creative forces of the people. The group officially disbanded in 1951, but the artists who claimed to be part of it were almost all highly successful.
Against this movement, sculptor Robert Jacobsen (1912-1993), along with Mortensen, represented "non-figurative concreteness". At the same time, Wiig Hansen (1922-1997) and Anne Haugen (b. 1932) developed a more traditional "figurative expressionism", denouncing the excesses of modern society. A key figure, Per Kirkeby (b. 1938) came to prominence in the 1960s, a period of revolt marked by the happenings of Bjørn Nørgård (b. 1947).
Towards tomorrow
In the second half of the 20th century, New York set the tone. The Danes, too, adopted the trends that were sweeping the world: hyperrealism with Niels Strøbeck (b. 1944), minimalism and conceptual art (Stig Brøgge, Mogens Møller), pop art, video art and installation. Under American influence, photography finally achieved the status of an artistic discipline. The New American Photography exhibition, hosted by Copenhagen's Bella Center in 1971, showcased the major photographers of the 1950s and 1960s, such as Diane Arbus and Harry Callahan. In 1973, the "Gallery for Creative Photography" (Galleriet for Creativ Fotografi) opened in Copenhagen, encouraging experimental photography. Kristen Klein and her landscapes, Per Bak Jensen and his meditative images, Nanna Bisp Büchert in a more conceptual genre. The National Museum of Photography houses no fewer than 18 million photographs of historical or artistic interest. A more recent addition is the Fotografisk Center, which exhibits a selection of emerging Danish photographers every year.
Street art trail
Street art established itself later in Copenhagen than in other Western capitals. One of its distinctive features is that each fresco often takes up an entire facade. These giant works of art revitalize neglected neighborhoods, when they don't conceal sites under construction. Although present throughout the city, urban art is essentially concentrated in two districts: Vesterbro and Nørrebro.
Vesterbro is a vast, dynamic art gallery. Have fun locating the splendid weightless cosmonaut, the huge bouquet of white flowers growing on a rooftop or the mixed couple, naked in a garden reminiscent of a new Eden. In this once-industrial neighborhood, particularly in the Meetpacking district, art galleries and trendy bars have set up shop in converted slaughterhouses.
In Nørrebro, Bananna Park is an oasis of calm and creativity. Between the children's games and the climbing boulder guarded by acrobatic (painted) monkeys, some of the frescoes are signed by renowned street artists. Of particular note is Chr Hansen'sYggdrasil, a gigantic stylized tree that never loses its leaves. Not far away, the Superkilen is home to an art project that brings together pieces from all over the world. The aim is to reflect social diversity by brightening up public furniture: an Oriental fountain, Brazilian benches and a Spanish ping-pong table stand side by side in the greenery.
