Famous Danish Artists & Painters

Camille Pissarro was a Danish-French painter best remembered for his contributions to Impressionism, Neo-Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism. He is credited with establishing a group of 15 aspiring artists, for which he served as a pivotal figure. He was regarded as a father figure to several important painters, including Vincent Willem van Gogh.

Gerda Wegener was a Danish painter and illustrator. She began painting as a young girl and received her training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. As a painter, she often depicted confident and elegant women performing a variety of activities in her works. She also painted fashion illustrations and what was labeled “lesbian erotica.” 

Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish sculptor and medallist. He was internationally famous and spent most of his life in Italy. He received his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Art and initially worked with his father, a woodcarver. He went on to become a famous sculptor and worked in a heroic neo-classicist style. He received many awards. 

Olafur Eliasson is an Icelandic-Danish artist. He is famous for his sculptured and large-scale installation art. He established Studio Olafur Eliasson in Berlin in 1995 and co-founded Studio Other Spaces in 2014. He represented Denmark at the 50th Venice Biennale in 2003. He was a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts for many years. 

Torben Ulrich is a Danish former professional tennis player turned writer, musician, and filmmaker. As a tennis player, he was the top-ranked senior player in the world in the mid-1970s. He became a writer after retirement and primarily wrote on music, film, athletics, and culture. He eventually founded a New Orleans-type jazz band and made films as well. 

Lars Andersen is a Danish painter and archer. He graduated from the School of Visual Art and received private training under popular painter and graphic designer Otto Frello. As an archer, he has posted many videos on YouTube, some of which have gone viral, receiving millions of views. His videos have also been criticized for their historical and scientific inaccuracies. 

Vilhelm Hammershøi was a Danish painter best known for his poetic and subdued portraits. He studied painting with prominent landscape painters Vilhelm Kyhn and Frederik Vermehren at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. He then debuted in the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in 1885 and proceeded to build an illustrious career in art. His wife, Ida, was his muse.

Carl Bloch was a Danish artist. His parents wanted him to become a naval officer, but he went against their wishes to pursue painting. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi) under Wilhelm Marstrand and went on to become a well-known painter. He made 23 paintings for the King's Chapel at Frederiksborg Palace. 

Peder Severin Krøyer was a Danish painter best remembered for painting beach scenes featuring local fishermen as well as recreation life on the beach. Some of his paintings are preserved at the Skagens Museum in Denmark.

Asger Jorn was a Danish painter, sculptor, and ceramic artist. The son of two teachers, he was also expected to become one. He enrolled in the Vinthers Seminarium, a teacher-training college, due to family pressure and later chose to become a painter. He produced over 2,500 paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, and sculptures in his artistic career.  

Anna Ancher was a Danish artist whose paintings depicted the everyday lives of fishermen, children, and women. Widely regarded as one of the greatest visual artists of Denmark, Anna Ancher was honored with several awards, such as the Ingenio et Arti medal and Tagea Brandt Rejselegat. She was also depicted on the DKK1000 banknote.

Peder Mørk Mønsted was a Danish realist painter best remembered for his portrayal of landscapes in a realistic style. Some of his favorite motifs were forests, still water, and snowy winter landscapes. A habitual traveler, Peder Mørk Mønsted presented his paintings at several international exhibitions. Today, many of his works are being treasured by private collectors around the world.

Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg was a Danish painter. Known as the Father of Danish Painting, Eckersberg laid the foundation for the period of art, which came to be known as the Danish Golden Age. Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg is also credited with teaching and mentoring many future painters like Wilhelm Bendz, Ditlev Blunck, and Carl Dahl among others.  

Michael Ancher was a Danish realist artist best remembered for his portrayal of fishermen, lakes, and scenes from the fishing community in Skagen. In 1889, he was honored with the prestigious Eckersberg Medal. Today, many of Michael Ancher's paintings are preserved at the National Gallery of Denmark, Skagens Museum, and Ribe Art Museum.

H. A. Brendekilde was a Danish painter. Born into a poor family, he began working as a shepherd as a young boy. With the support of his teacher, he began an artistic career and received his training at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He often depicted the life of poor Danish villagers in his works.   

Nicolai Abildgaard was a Danish neoclassical sculptor, history painter, and architect. He also served as a professor of anatomy, mythology, and painting at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. Abildgaard also served as a royal history painter and was commissioned by the Danish government to produce large monumental pieces to decorate the Knights' Room at Christiansborg Palace. 

Danh Vo is a Danish contemporary artist who lives and works in Mexico City and Berlin. In 2012, he was honored with the prestigious Hugo Boss Prize. His works are often displayed in places like the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City.

Paul Gustav Fischer was a Danish painter best remembered for his depiction of popular cities like Copenhagen. Although his paintings were not critically acclaimed during his lifetime, Fischer's art sold well and he exhibited his artworks frequently.

Edvard Eriksen was a Danish–Icelandic sculptor best remembered for his work The Little Mermaid, which is displayed on a rock at the Langelinie promenade in Denmark. Edvard Eriksen started his career as a wood carver before learning to make bronze statues. He also learned to carve in marble in the latter half of his career.

Caius Gabriel Cibber was a Danish sculptor who achieved popularity in England. Many of his works, including the statue of Charles II, are on public display in London. He is best remembered for his two lifelike human statues entitled Raving Madness and Melancholy for the gates of Bethlem Royal Hospital. He is also known as the father of Colley Cibber. 

Carl-Henning Pedersen was a Danish painter who played an important role during the COBRA movement. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's most important Danish artists, Pedersen was honored with several prestigious awards such as the Guggenheim Award and Eckersberg Award. In 1963, he received the Thorvaldsen Medal.

Richard Mortensen was a Danish painter. He studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen and was heavily influenced by the works of the Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky. He created works that reflected the violence of Europe during the Second World War. He later became a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Art.

Pia Arke was a Danish visual artist, photographer, and writer. She is best remembered for creating her own life-size camera obscura which she used to photograph the landscapes of Greenland. Pia Arke is often counted among the most prominent postcolonial critics of the Nordic region.

Edith Grøn was a Danish-born Nicaraguan sculptor whose works are exhibited in public spaces throughout Nicaragua. Her works are also displayed in countries like Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, and Spain. A prolific sculptor, Edith Grøn is widely regarded as the most important Nicaraguan sculptor of the 20th century.