Jens Søndergaard (October 4, 1895 – May 21, 1957) was a Danish expressionist painter. He specialised in strongly coloured landscapes depicting his feelings for the power of nature and the sea. Søndergaard won both national and international acclaim.
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Biography
Jens Andersen Søndergaard was born in the small town Øster Assels on the island of
Mors
Mors may refer to:
*Mors (mythology), the personification of death in Roman mythology
*Mors, Latin for death
*Mors (automobile), a French car manufacturer from 1895 to 1925
:* American Mors, Mors vehicles produced under licence in America by the S ...
. His father, Anders Søndergaard, was a painter, but later opened a bicycle shop in
Hurup on
Thy. After finishing school, Jens Søndergaard also began training as a painter. After having served his apprenticeship, he was admitted to the technical school in
Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
. While he worked as a painter, he tried to break through as an artist. He succeeded rather quickly, and was admitted to the
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts
The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () 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 Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...
in
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
in 1916, where his teacher was Malthe Engekstad.
In 1919, Jens Søndergaard debuted at the annual Artists Autumn Exhibition (''
Kunstnernes Efterårsudstilling'') and hosted his own separate exhibition the following year.
In 1926, he traveled to Paris, southern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. The same year, he became a member of the Danish artists cooperative ''
Grønningen
Grønningen is a Danish artists cooperative whose members arrange exhibitions and similar events. Founded in 1915, it is one of the oldest and most important groupings of its kind in Denmark and currently has 54 members. It is named after the str ...
'', and exhibited his works there until his death. In 1931, he 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 ...
and in 1946 the
Thorvaldsen Medal
The Thorvaldsen Medal (Danish language, 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 th ...
. Søndergaard died at
Skovshoved
Skovshoved is a former fishing village on the Øresund coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark. The area is part of Charlottenlund postal district and Gentofte Municipality. Local landmarks include Skovshoved Church, Skovshoved Hotel and the listed Ar ...
and was buried at Ordrup Cemetery.
Jens Søndergaards Museum
Many of Søndergaard's works can be seen at the Jens Søndergaard Museum, a part of
Lemvig Museum at
Lemvig
Lemvig is a market town located on the Limfjord in North Jutland, Denmark. The town has a population of 6,741 (2025),[Jutland
Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...](_blank)
. Once his own summer residence and atelier, the small wooden house lies right at the coast to the North Sea.
Jens Søndergaard's Museum on Bovbjerg
Jens Søndergaards Museum. Retrieved 9 December 2008.
See also
* Art of Denmark
Danish art is the visual arts produced in Denmark or by Danish artists. It goes back thousands of years with significant artifacts from the 2nd millennium BC, such as the Trundholm sun chariot. For many early periods, it is usually considered a ...
References
External links
Jens Søndergaards Museum website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sondergaard, Jens
1895 births
1957 deaths
20th-century Danish painters
Danish Impressionist painters
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni
Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal
Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal
People from Morsø Municipality