Anders Bundgaard (7 August 1864 – 19 September 1937) was a Danish sculptor.Anette Sørensen, "Anders Bundgaard" ''Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbachs kunstnerleksikon''. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
Biography
Bundgaard was born at Ersted near
Skørping
Skørping is a railway town in Rebild Municipality in Region Nordjylland in the geographic region of the Jutland peninsula known as '' Himmerland'' in northern Denmark. The modern town has a population of 2,971 as of 1 January 2022;
When Bundgaard arrived in Copenhagen, he undertook a variety of odd jobs until his artistic talents were discovered by
Emil Blichfeldt
Emil Blichfeldt (5 November 1849 – 20 October 1908) was a Danish architect who worked in the Historicist style.
Biography
Frederik Thorvald Emil Blichfeldt was born in Copenhagen. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1864 to ...
who encouraged him to attend the
Copenhagen Technical College
Copenhagen Technical College (Danish: Københavns Tekniske Skole, KTS) is a school of secondary education in Copenhagen, Denmark. The school offers educational programmes within the technical sciences on a secondary level to post-primary youth, Hig ...
(1884–85) and later the
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark.
History
The Royal Dan ...
(1885-1887). It was there that he was introduced to French Naturalism by Norwegian-Danish sculptor
Stephan Sinding
Stephan Abel Sinding (4 August 1846 – 23 January 1922) was a Norwegian- Danish sculptor. He moved to Copenhagen in 1883 and had his breakthrough the same year. In 1890 he obtained Danish citizenship. In 1910 he settled in Paris where he live ...
, giving his works with a rather dramatic touch. He debuted at the
Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition
The Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition (''Charlottenborg Forårsudstilling'') is an annual art exhibition in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The event is held at the Charlottenborg Exhibition Building (''Kunsthal Charlottenborg'').
Kunsthal Charlottenborg ...
in 1888.
He was awarded several scholarship: Raben-Levetzau (1889, 1891); Hielmstierne-Rosencrone (1891); Ancker (1894). He conducted study trips to Paris (1889-1892) thence to Genoa, Naples, Pompeii, Rome, and Florence; again Paris (189); Italy (1894-1895); Italy, Egypt and Greece (1899-1900); Italy (1921–22). His study trips in Paris provided him with inspiration from
Alexandre Falguière
Jean Alexandre Joseph Falguière (also given as Jean-Joseph-Alexandre Falguière, or in short Alexandre Falguière) (7 September 183120 April 1900) was a French sculptor and painter.
Biography
Falguière was born in Toulouse. A pupil of the à ...
and Auguste Rodin. In addition, his father's interest in mythology and folk tales reinforced his imaginative approach which can be seen in his robust, Naturalistic works, often made of granite. His interest in ecclesiastical art from the Middle Ages is also apparent.
Bundgaard undertook several major decorative projects including sculptures for the recently built
Copenhagen City Hall
Copenhagen City Hall ( da, Københavns Rådhus) is the headquarters of the Copenhagen City Council as well as the Lord mayor of the Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. The building is situated on City Hall Square in central Copenhagen.
Architect ...
(1894–99) and for Christiansborg Palace (1907–28) where his four majestic figures stand over the entrance to the parliamentary chamber. Bundgaard's works often exhibit a mythological, nationalistic slant as can be seen in two of his masterpieces, the
Gefion Fountain
The Gefion Fountain ( da, Gefionspringvandet) is a large fountain on the harbour front in Copenhagen, Denmark. It features a large-scale group of oxen pulling a plow and being driven by the Norse goddess Gefjon. It is located in Nordre Toldbod ar ...
(1908) on Copenhagen's waterfront and the Cimbrian Bull (1937) in Aalborg. He completed a number of monuments in commemoration of the volunteers from 1848 and 1864 as well as the Reunification Monument in
Randers
Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 62,802 (as of 1 January 2022).Enrico Dalgas (1916) and Christian von Lüttichau (1918). He also completed decorative work at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen (1928).
Many of Bundgaard's original plaster models can be seen in the Thingbæk Kalkminer Museum, a former mine near the Rebild National Park."Anders Bundgaard" ''Den Store Danske''. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
Personal life
In 1894, he married Elisabeth Kabell (1874-1957). Bundgaard was made a knight in the Order of the Danneborg. He died at
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
. He was buried at Gravlev kirkegard in
Rebild Municipality
Rebild municipality is a municipality (Danish, '' kommune'') in North Jutland Region in Denmark. It covers an area of 628 km² and a total population of 28,753 (2008).
On 1 January 2007 Rebild municipality was created as the result of ''Kom ...