Thyra Valborg Boldsen (1884–1968) was a Danish sculptor who created works in a naturalistic style using many different types of stone. She was particularly successful in the United States after moving to California in 1931. Four of her works were installed in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

' Exposition Park in 1936. In the 1920s, she lectured on art and wrote books on philosophical questions and lifestyle. Her work was part of the sculpture event in the art competition at the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

Biography

Born on 2 January 1884 in

Farum Farum is a town on the northeast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, 20 km northwest of Copenhagen. The town has a population of 20,312 (1 January 2022).

, Thyra Valborg Boldsen was the daughter of the farmer Frederik Svane Grundtzmann (1856–1922) and Mathea Christine Nielsen (1855–1891). In 1906, she married the engineer Kai Svane Gnudtzmann but the marriage was dissolved in 1915. Boldsen began to train as a sculptor under Gunnar Jensen. After preparatory studies at the Arts and Crafts School for Women, she was admitted to 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 ...

in 1903. As a result of the additional year she spent at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

in Paris (1905–06), she graduated from the Academy in 1912. She travelled to Greece and Italy in 1915. She was a regular exhibitor 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 ...

s from 1907 to 1932. When the Danish Society of Female Artists was founded in 1916, she became one of the early members and exhibited at their retrospective exhibition in 1920. In 1918, she exhibited three statues in

Hellerup Hellerup () is a very affluent district of Gentofte Municipality in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The most urban part of the district is centred on Strandvejen and is bordered by Østerbro to the south and the Øresund to the east. It compri ...

's Øregårdsparken, including one in white marble from

Paros Paros (; el, Πάρος; Venetian: ''Paro'') is a Greek island in the central Aegean Sea. One of the Cyclades island group, it lies to the west of Naxos, from which it is separated by a channel about wide. It lies approximately south-east of ...

titled "Kvindernes Valgret" or Votes for Women. Saddened by the cruelty of the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she opened her home to refugees and became interested in philosophy as a way to promote peace. She became especially interested in the work of

Harald Høffding Harald Høffding (11 March 1843 – 2 July 1931) was a Danish philosopher and theologian. Life Born and educated in Copenhagen, he became a schoolmaster, and ultimately in 1883 a professor at the University of Copenhagen. He was strongly influe ...

and took private lessons in philosophy. It was in the United States that Boldsen was most successful. She first visited the country in 1926. After several more trips, she settled in California in 1931 and remained there for the rest of her life. She created busts of famous people including the aviator

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

and the Japanese dancer

Michio Itō was a Japanese dancer who developed his own choreography style in Europe and America. He was the son of Kimiye Iijima and architect Tamekichi Ito who was educated at the University of Washington; he was one of nine children, and the brother of D ...

. Other works included ''The Melody of Life'' and ''The World Mother'' (1932). ''The Melody of Life'', together with three other works, was installed in Exposition Park in Los Angeles. At the time, Boldsen commented: "In conceiving and executing these four figures dedicated to womanhood and motherhood, I have had in mind that men for centuries have erected statues symbolizing bravery—these symbolize love, life and joy." After her death in 1968, the statues were taken to Denmark. Thyra Boldsen died in

Monrovia, California Monrovia is a city in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 37,931 at the 2020 census. Monrovia has been used for filming TV shows, movies and co ...

, on 22 September 1968.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Boldsen, Thyra 1884 births 1968 deaths 20th-century Danish sculptors Danish women sculptors People from Furesø Municipality Women presidents of organizations 20th-century Danish women artists 20th-century Danish artists Danish emigrants to the United States Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Olympic competitors in art competitions