Sigrid Helga Lütken (1915–2008) was a Danish sculptor who is remembered for her works in public spaces throughout Denmark. Working in a wide variety of materials, she focused on plants, animals and people, all depicted in strong abstract forms. Her works form part of the permanent exhibitions of the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark, Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from S ...

and can be seen in the Museum of

Aabenraa Aabenraa (; , ; South Jutlandic: ''Affenråe'', also known as Åbenrå) is a town in Southern Denmark, at the head of the Aabenraa Fjord, an arm of the Little Belt, north of the Denmark–Germany border and north of German town of Flensburg. It ...

and in

Hjørring Hjørring () is a town on the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Hjørring Municipality in the North Jutland Region. The population is 25,908 (acco ...

's Sculpture Park. Some of her more recent creations decorate the garden of the

Carlsberg Foundation Carlsberg Foundation () is a not-for-profit organization that was founded by J. C. Jacobsen in 1876, by allocating some of his shares in the Carlsberg Brewery to fund and operate the Carlsberg Laboratory and the Museum of National History at ...

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 ...

Biography

Born on 30 November 1915 in

Helsingør Helsingør ( , ; ), classically known in English as Elsinore ( ), is a coastal city in northeastern Denmark. Helsingør Municipality had a population of 63,953 on 1 January 2025, making it the 23rd most populated municipality in Denmark. Helsin ...

, Sigrid Helga Lütken was the daughter of Major General Louis Carl Frederik Lütken (1863–1918) and Gertrud Thürmer. From 1936 to 1941, she studied sculpture at 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 ...

under

Einar Utzon-Frank Aksel (Axel) Einar (Ejnar) Utzon-Frank (30 March 1888 – 15 July 1955) was a Danish sculptor and professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. During his lifetime, he produced many sculptures, some of which stand as public monuments. U ...

. Her early works follow naturalistic trends, depicting human figures and animals which are frequently in motion. Her later works are increasingly abstract, covering fruits, plants or birds in an ornamental style with simple cubic shapes. Her materials include granite, cast iron, stoneware and bronze. From 1954, Lütken exhibited with the

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 ...

artists and from 1965 with the group known as Koloristerne. From the 1980s, as a member of the selection committee, she participated in the exhibitions at Vrå Hojskole. Her last exhibitions were in early 2008 at

Den Frie Udstilling Den Frie Udstilling ('The Free Exhibition') is a Danish artists' association, founded in 1891 by artists in protest against the admission requirements for the Kunsthal Charlottenborg. Modeled on the Salon des Refusés, it is Denmark's oldest asso ...

and in

Hobro Hobro () is an old market and railway town in Region Nordjylland on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. It has a population of 12,360 (1 January 2025). The town is situated in a hilly terrain at the head of Mariager Fjord, close to the f ...

together with works by her husband, the sculptor Bent Sørensen (1923–2008). In 1972 she was awarded 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 1994 the lifelong award from the

Danish Arts Foundation The Danish Arts Foundation ( Danish: Statens Kunstfond) is the principal Danish government funded arts foundation founded by a special Law on 27 May 1964. Statens Kunstfond alongside the :da:Statens Kunstråd (English sometimes State Arts Council ...

. Sigrid Lütken died on 2 March 2008 and is buried in the

Lundtofte Church Lundtofte Church ( Danish: Lundtofte Kirke) is a Church of Denmark parish church in Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality in the northern suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was completed in 1921 but is built in the style of a typical Danish white-washed vil ...

yard.

References

External links

Examples of Lütken's work from Morsø Kunstforening
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lutken, Sigrid 1915 births 2008 deaths People from Helsingør

Sigrid Sigrid is a Scandinavian given name for women from Old Norse ''Sigríðr'', composed of the elements ''sigr'' "victory" and ''fríðr'' "beautiful". Common short forms include Siri, Sigga, Sig, and Sigi. An Estonian and Finnish variant is Sii ...

20th-century Danish sculptors 21st-century Danish sculptors 21st-century Danish male artists Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal 20th-century Danish women sculptors 21st-century women sculptors