Erik Hagens (born 21 April 1940) is a Danish painter and illustrator. He is best known for his 40-metre-long mural ''Esbjerg-evangeliet.

Biography

Born in Copenhagen, Hagens is the son of the civil engineer Poul Gunnar Hagens and Elsa Margareta Silwer, a weaver. He studied painting at 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 Dani ...

from 1961 to 1966 and was trained as a

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

at the experimental art school, Eks-skolen. In the 1960s, he became an active participant in the cross-border experiments in art and life. From the 1970s, his works have been inspired by the development of the consumer society with the effects of industrialization, pollution, road traffic and entertainment centres as, for example, in his 1977 painting ''Københavns Vinterbane'' (Copenhagen's Winter Track) based on an annual cycling event in Copenhagen. However, there is less emphasis on the cycling than on the people attending the event who are all intent on making a quick fortune. Among Hagens' most significant works are the enamels he created together with his wife

Ursula Munch-Petersen Ursula Munch-Petersen (born 29 December 1937) is a Danish ceramist. Biography Born in Rønne on the island of Bornholm, Ursula Munch-Petersen is the daughter of Gustaf and Lisbeth Munch-Petersen, both of whom were also ceramists and potters. She ...

for Espergærde Bibliotek in 1990 and the 40-metre long mural ''Esbjerg-evangeliet'' (2003–05) he made for the CVU-Vest social school in

Esbjerg Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022)

. It depicts modern scenes based on some of the better known Bible stories, mostly with a humorous touch.

Awards

In 1997, Hagens received the

Eckersberg Medal The Eckersberg Medal (originally the ''Akademiets Aarsmedaille'' or Annual Academy Medal) is an annual award of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It is named after Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, known as the father of Danish painting. The Ec ...

and in 2008, the

Thorvaldsen Medal The Thorvaldsen Medal (Danish: Thorvaldsens Medalje, Thorvaldsen Medaillen) is awarded annually with few exceptions to a varying number of recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and is its highest distinction within the visual arts. It ...

References

External links

Examples of Hagens' work from Kunstdk.dk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagens, Erik 1940 births 20th-century Danish painters 21st-century Danish painters 20th-century Danish illustrators 21st-century Danish illustrators Artists from Copenhagen Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal Living people Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni