Paul Preben Gadegaard (17 November 1920 – 4 March 1992) was a Danish painter and sculptor. He developed an Abstract geometrical style in his painting but is best remembered for decorating factories in
Herning
Herning () is a Danish town in the Central Denmark Region of the Jutland peninsula. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Herning Municipality. Herning has a population of 50,565 (1 January 2022)Frederiksberg, Gadegaard studied painting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1940 to 1946 under
Sigurd Wandel
Sigurd Wandel (22 February 1875 – 3 June 1947) was a Danish painter who became director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Biography
Wandel was born in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen, Denmark.
He was the son of art collector ...
, Kræsten Iversen,
Aksel Jørgensen
Aksel Jørgensen (3 February 1883 – 9 June 1957) was a Denmark, Danish painter and Wood engraving, wood engraver. He is also remembered for his years as the director and professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Royal Danish Academy whe ...
and
Vilhelm Lundstrøm
Vilhelm Lundstrøm (26 May 1893 – 9 May 1950) was a Danish modernist painter. He was a central figure in early Danish experimental art and introduced French cubism to Denmark.
Biography
Vilhelm Henry Lundstrøm was born in Copenhagen, Den ...
. Forced to leave Denmark during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, he also studied at the
Royal Swedish Academy of Arts
The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts ( sv, Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architec ...
under Otte Sköld (1944–45). He completed his studies in Paris under
André Lhote
André Lhote (5 July 1885 – 24 January 1962) was a French Cubist painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes and still life. He was also active and influential as a teacher and writer on art.
Early life and education
Lhote was born ...
.
Gadegaard's early paintings were Naturalistic but from the end of the 1940s became Abstract, influenced by the Constructivist trend he encountered in Paris. In 1949, he joined the
Linien II
Linien (meaning "The Line") was an artists' association in Denmark in the 1930s and 1940s focusing on Abstraction and Symbolism. The group's exhibitions in Copenhagen created wide international participation. After the Second World War, the associ ...
artists association where he exhibited until 1952. After the 1960s, his paintings became lighter in colour, initiating a style which became increasingly common in Denmark over the following years.
In 1952, he began an association with Aage Damgaard who had a shirt factory in
Herning
Herning () is a Danish town in the Central Denmark Region of the Jutland peninsula. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Herning Municipality. Herning has a population of 50,565 (1 January 2022)Herning Art Museum
Heart: Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, formerly Herning Kunstmuseum, was founded in Herning, Denmark, in 1976. It opened in 1977 in Angligården, an old shirt factory designed by C. F. Møller. In 2009, it reopened in new premises designed by ...
. In 1977, Gadegaarde embarked on the decoration of Herning's Angligården which he completed in 1882. Gadegaarde's work is Herning is considered to represent an important development in the recent history of Danish art.
A large collection of Gadegaarde's work can be seen in the
Herning Art Museum
Heart: Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, formerly Herning Kunstmuseum, was founded in Herning, Denmark, in 1976. It opened in 1977 in Angligården, an old shirt factory designed by C. F. Møller. In 2009, it reopened in new premises designed by ...