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Hermann Ernst Freund (15 October 1786, in
Uthlede Uthlede is a village and a former municipality in the district of Cuxhaven, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 January 2014, it is part of the municipality Hagen im Bremischen. Uthlede belonged to the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen, established ...
,
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
– 30 June 1840, in
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 ...
) was a German-born Danish sculptor. He is remembered in particular for his figures from
Nordic mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...
and for the Ragnarok Frieze.


Biography

Born near
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...
, Germany, Freund was trained as a smith before studying at the
Art Academy An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, including fine art – especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. Art schools can offer elementary, secondary, post-seco ...
in Copenhagen where he was awarded all four silver and gold medals. After graduating, he spent 10 years in Rome where he became
Bertel Thorvaldsen Bertel Thorvaldsen (; 19 November 1770 – 24 March 1844) was a Danes, Danish and Icelanders, Icelandic Sculpture, sculptor medallist, medalist of international fame, who spent most of his life (1797–1838) in Italy. Thorvaldsen was born in ...
's closest assistant as can be seen in his marble bust of
Bernhard Severin Ingemann Bernhard Severin Ingemann (28 May 1789 – 24 February 1862) was a Danish novelist and poet. Biography Ingemann was born in Torkilstrup, on the island of Falster, Denmark. The son of a vicar, he was left fatherless in his youth. While a s ...
(1820). An early proponent of
romantic nationalism Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...
, Freund was the first Danish sculptor to work with
Nordic mythology Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern period ...
, creating 12 statuettes including
Loki Loki is a god in Norse mythology. According to some sources, Loki is the son of Fárbauti (a jötunn) and Laufey (mentioned as a goddess), and the brother of Helblindi and Býleistr. Loki is married to Sigyn and they have two sons, Narfi or Na ...
(1822),
Odin Odin (; from non, Óðinn, ) is a widely revered Æsir, god in Germanic paganism. Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about him, associates him with wisdom, healing, death, royalty, the gallows, knowledge, war, battle, v ...
(bronze 1827) and
Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...
(1829), all inspired by ancient Greek and Roman mythological works."H.E. Freund"
''Den Store Danske''. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
On returning to Copenhagen, he organized the decoration of Church of Our Lady, preparing models for the figures of the 12 apostles but in the end Thorvaldsen received the commission. His masterpiece, the Ragnarok Frieze, which occupied him for many years, was completed by
Herman Wilhelm Bissen Herman Wilhelm Bissen (13 October 1798 â€“ 10 March 1868) was a Denmark, Danish sculptor. Biography Bissen was born at Schleswig in the Duchy of Schleswig. He was the son of Christian Gottlieb Wilhelm Bissen (1766-1847), a farmer, and Anna ...
after his death but was later destroyed by the Christianborg fire in 1884. There is a plaster cast of part of the frieze in
Statens Museum for Kunst The National Gallery of Denmark ( da, Statens Museum for Kunst, also known as "SMK", literally State Museum for Art) is the Danish national gallery, located in the centre of Copenhagen. The museum collects, registers, maintains, researches and han ...
.Jens Peter Munk, "Hermann Ernst Freund"
''Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbachs kunstnerleksikon''. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
The largest collection of his works is to be found at the
Glyptotek Glyptotek or Glyptothek may refer to: * Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark * Glyptothek, an art museum in Munich, Germany * '' Glyptothek (album)'', an album by Scottish musician Momus Momus (; Ancient Greek: Îœá¿¶Î¼Î¿Ï ...
in Copenhagen.Jens Peter Munk, "Hermann Ernst Freund"
''Kunstindeks Danmark & Weilbachs kunstnerleksikon''. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
In 1829, Freund became a professor at the Academy. Inspired by time he spent in the south of Italy, Freund had his official home, Materialgaard, decorated in Pompeiian style. Young artists such as
Georg Hilker Georg Hilker (5 June 1807 – 13 January 1875) was a Danish decorative painter active during the Danish Golden Age in the first half of the 19th century. He collaborated with painter Constantin Hansen (1804–1880). Early life and career Hilk ...
,
Heinrich Eddelien Matthias Heinrich Elias Eddelien (22 January 1802 – 24 December 1852) was a Danish history painter of German origin. Biography Eddelien was born in Greifswald, Germany. He was the son of David Niclas Erdelien and Johanna Dorothea Jäde. Ed ...
,
Constantin Hansen Carl Christian Constantin Hansen (Constantin Hansen) (3 November 1804 – 29 March 1880) 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 hist ...
and
Christen Købke Christen Schiellerup Købke (26 May 1810 – 7 February 1848) was a Danish painter, and one of the best known artists from the Golden Age of Danish Painting. Childhood and early training He was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was one of 11 ...
completed the work using Freund's designs.


Gallery

File:Thor (1829) by H. E. Freund.jpg, Hermann Ernst Freund: ''Thor'' (1829) File:Nordenskirker Faaborg17.jpg, Hermann Ernst Freund: Font in Faaborg Church File:Odin (1825-1827) by H. E. Freund.jpg, Hermann Ernst Freund: ''Odin'' (1828) File:Lars Pedersen af Sæbyes gravminde.jpg, Jens Pedersen Memorial at Sæby Church,
Hornsherred Hornsherred () is a peninsula between Roskilde Fjord and Isefjord on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. It falls within the expanded Frederikssund municipality and includes Jægerspris and Skibby and before 1 January 2007 a part of Bramsn ...
(1833)


See also

*
Danish sculpture Danish sculpture as a nationally recognized art form can be traced back to 1752 when Jacques Saly was commissioned to execute a statue of King Frederick V of Denmark on horseback. While Bertel Thorvaldsen was undoubtedly the country's most promi ...
* Mimir and Balder Consult the Norns


References


External links


Images of The Ragnarok Frieze
{{DEFAULTSORT:Freund, Hermann Ernst Danish male artists 1786 births 1840 deaths Artists from Copenhagen Artists from Bremen Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni 19th-century Danish sculptors German emigrants to Denmark Academic staff of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Male sculptors 19th-century Danish male artists