Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is located in the center of Copenhagen and the museum collection consists primarily of works of art and archaeological objects from Ancient Egypt, the worlds of Ancient Greece and Rome, Etruscan Culture, as well as Danish and French art of the 19th century.
Art and beer Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek was founded by the brewer, Carl Jacobsen (the founder of Carlsberg breweries), who was one of the great industrial magnates of the 19th century and the greatest art patron Denmark has seen. In 1888 Carl Jacobsen gave his art collection to the public and began the building of Glyptoteket to house it. Glyptoteket has been open to the public since 1897 and holds over 10,000 works primarily divided between ancient antiquities and Danish and French sculpture and painting from the 19th century.
The collection The collection of ancient sculpture includes an extensive collection of Ancient Greek and Roman portrait heads as well as a large collection of Palmyrene portraits. The modern part of the collection includes French sculpture from the 19th century – featuring a significant selection of works by Auguste Rodin – and French painting from 1800 to 1950, with Impressionism and Paul Gauguin as the absolute stars, plus a collection of Danish Golden Age Art. The greater proportion of the collection forms part of the museum’s permanent exhibitions, though there are, also, temporary special exhibitions which help to develop a perspective on the museum’s collection with the aid of works on loan.
The Winter Garden, café and roof terraceUnwind from the daily grind at the café overlooking the beautiful and spacious Winter Garden. Picnic is open on the same days as the museum itself. We serve tasty light lunches, desserts, coffee and other beverages.
Visit the roof terrace of the Glyptotek and experience a beautiful view of Copenhagen and the city towers. Every summer, the museum café serves cold drinks, snacks, coffee and cake for you to enjoy in open air.
Special Exhibithions:
Joaquín Sorolla – Light in Motion, 8.11.23-3.3.24
Joaquín Sorolla – Light in Motion is the first-ever solo exhibition in the Nordic region devoted to the work of the Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923).
Featuring one of Spain’s most important painters from the period between the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century, it marks both the 100th anniversary of the artist’s death and the state visit of the Spanish royal family to Denmark in November 2023. (Glyptoteket.dk)
After nature, 12.10.2023 - 18.08.2024
In After Nature – A New Reading of the Glyptotek’s Paintings by Writer Josefine Klougart, Josefine Klougart uses the prism of art to study the relationship of humans with nature in a kind of 3-D essay, in which the author’s texts interacts with the Glyptotek’s landscape paintings.
Nature as we knew it no longer exists. Klougart explores its beauty, and its disappearance from our modern reality. The sensuous design of the exhibition is the work of the set designer duo Vang Stensgaard. (Glyptoteket.dk)
The Hirschsprung Collection
Spanning the period from the Danish Golden Age to the Skagen painters and the Modern Breakthrough, this Østerbro gallery presents some of the most evocative and moving paintings in Danish art history.
In a beautiful building, in the Østre Anlæg park in central Copenhagen, today listed as a building of special importance, you can discover some of the most important works by masters such as Eckersberg, Købke, Krøyer, and Hammershøi.
The museum is built around the personal art collection of Heinrich Hirschsprung, a tobacco manufacturer, who donated his collection to the Danish state in 1902. The collection offers a representative selection of paintings from one of the most outstanding eras of Danish art history.
The museum building is a beautiful example of the neo-classical style, where the interior, with its subdued colors and small galleries, creates a special and intimate atmosphere. There isn’t a better setting for the intimate portraits and scenes of daily life from over a hundred years ago that constitute much of the collection.
The museum building is a beautiful example of the neo-classical style, where the interior, with its subdued colours and small furnished galleries, creates a special and intimate atmosphere.
The museum is built around the personal art collection of tobacco manufacturer Heinrich Hirschsprung and his wife Pauline who donated his collection to the Danish state in 1902.
Every last Thursday of the month until 8 PM
Særudstillinger:
SOLDIERS. ART AND THE DANES AT WAR 1848-1864, 15.3.24-28.7.24
SOLDIERS. ART AND THE DANES AT WAR 1848-1864 is an exhibition about art and the popular image of the people’s warrior which arose with the wars in the 1800s. For the first time ever, the Danish soldier was given a leading role in general culture. The home front closely followed the war through photographic reports. Danish soldiers, student volunteers and sailors became heroes in large battle paintings. But art also tackled problems and conflicts. Families had to send their sons to the wars and, later, to receive and accommodate the returning veterans.
SOLDIERS. ART AND THE DANES AT WAR 1848-1864 is an exhibition about the ordinary Danish soldier. We see him in the field and on the battlefield, at camp and on leave. And we meet his family and the community to which he returned. The exhibition is also about visual strategies and blind spots. How did we perceive and understand the soldiers and their struggles? Could death and grief be accommodated in art? What happened to the scars of those who came home from the wars?
Related Attractions
SMK – The National Gallery of Denmark
SMK - The National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst) is Denmark’s largest art museum, featuring outstanding collections of Danish and international art from the past seven centuries. SMK is located just off of Copenhagen's Nørreport station. Here you can experience special exhibitions, the royal collections, guided tours, performances, art talks, concerts, workshops and much more.
At the SMK you can enjoy the grand masters of art history along with cutting-edge contemporary artists and the rising stars of the art scene. No other museum in Denmark shows such a rich and varied selection of art – from the European classics of the Renaissance to the overwhelming diversity of modern and contemporary art. Here you will find gems by artists such as Mantegna, Nolde, Anna Ancher, Derain, Rubens, Matisse, Hammershøi, Munch, Abramovic, Danh Vo and Elmgreen & Dragset.
SMK is especially famous for its beautiful collection of Danish Golden Age art, the country’s most comprehensive collection of Danish contemporary art – and one of the world’s best Matisse collections.
Vivid colours and grand architectural design characterise the museum, which houses the works of the world-famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Thorvaldsens Museum opened on September 18th 1848 and was the first public museum in Denmark. The characteristic building was built to exhibit the extensive works of the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen. Today the museum looks more or less as it did when it opened over 150 years ago.
A tour of the museum reveals a very special opportunity to enjoy world-class art and architecture. The museum houses the work of the world-famous Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844).
Located at Slotsholmen in the heart of Copenhagen the museum is very close to some of the most popular attractions of the city.
Their free audio guide offers visitors a glimpse into the history of the sculptures which represents Roman gods and famous historical personages.
Flora Italica: 17.6.23-24.9.24
Thorvaldsen’s sculptures have in their own way contributed to the danish flora as we know it today. In our upcoming focus exhibition FLORA ITALICA we introduce our guests to the flora and biodiversity of Thorvaldsen’s time.
The exhibition is based on the poetic but true story, that an Italian flower field blossomed on the square in front of the museum in the 1840’s. This botanical phenomenon occurred because Thorvaldsen’s sculptures were wrapped in Italian hay on their transport from Rome to Copenhagen. During the unwrapping of the artworks, large quantities of hay were disposed off in front of the museum, and the seeds began to blossom creating an Italian meadow.
In the exhibition the museums court yard will be transformed into an Italian meadow, using recreations of the original seeds from Thorvaldsen’s time. The American artist Crystal Bennes revives the ancient meadow – thus creating a tangible and visual aspect to our days problems with biodiversity. Guests will also be able to experience new contemporary art works with a focus on the beauty of plant structure and biodiversity.
The botanist Johan Lange collected a large number of the Italian plants, and had them preserved for future generations. These specimens will be exhibited for the very first time, along with the new works by contemporary artists.
Come by and experience the original Italian meadow, dive into the beauty of plants and learn more about the challenges we face in our current biodiversity.
Exhibitions in the Black Diamond - The Royal Danish Library
Storytelling, sensuous experiences and unique objects set the mind in motion when visiting exhibitions in The Black Diamond. With cultural heritage as an inexhaustible reservoir, everything from Søren Kierkegaard to contemporary art is staged, with particular emphasis on literature and photography.
Current Exhibitions:
The Camera and Us - The Camera and Us presents a selection of works from the photography collections of library, which contain several million images. The theme is the human being as a motif and the exhibition asks what photography does to our perception of ourselves and our conceptions of each other.
Treasures in the Royal Danish Library - An exhibition with library's most precious, beautiful, significant, and valuable treasures. From the oldest of manuscripts to the Internet's ever increasing digital cultural heritage. Explore gems from the collections of science, philosophy, cartography, music, and much more – or take a peek into the lives of a number of prominent Danes by reading Søren Kierkegaard's letter to his fiancé, Karen Blixen's own manuscript, or Hans Christian Andersen's diary.
ON THE EDGE, 23.2.24-10.8.24:
The exhibition ON THE EDGE focuses on The Black Diamond as an architectural landmark and as the users' building.
The Black Diamond is shaped like a sculptural monolith. With its distinct cubic shape and glossy black facade, the library's cultural centre has become one of Copenhagen's architectural icons. The Black Diamond has its 25th anniversary in 2024, and it will be celebrated with an anniversary exhibition. The exhibition focuses on the visions for the building, the Diamond's distinctive architecture and on the building's role today as a culture house and National Library.
ORDRUPGAARD – AN INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM DESTINATION
You will find Ordrupgaard in scenic, peaceful surroundings just 10 km north of Copenhagen. The museum offers a unique array of world-class art, design and architecture. The park has art to enjoy, too.
Monet, Degas, Gauguin – and HammershøiAt Ordrupgaard, you can explore one of Northern Europe’s most important collections of French Impressionism, featuring leading figures like Monet, Degas and Gauguin. In addition, visitors can enjoy an exquisite collection of Danish art focusing on Vilhelm Hammershøi and his contemporaries – as well as a succession of special exhibitions.
Finn Juhl, Zaha Hadid and SnøhettaYou can also visit the former home of furniture designer Finn Juhl. Here his iconic furniture enters into a lively dialogue with the great Danish artists of modernism, just like when Finn Juhl lived here. Star architect Zaha Hadid and the award-winning design studio Snøhetta have also made their imprint on Ordrupgaard.
Art in the open airIn the park, you can explore works by leading contemporary artists. All visitors can give their inner child free rein, because here you are welcome to run, jump and climb on the art. Of course, you may simply prefer to settle on the lawn and enjoy the many sensory impressions offered by the scenic park. Ever since the couple who founded Ordrupgaard, Wilhelm and Henny Hansen, moved here in 1918, a pleasant, informal atmosphere has infused this place. It still does, making the museum popular with all generations.
In the café, the chefs conjure up dishes from fresh Nordic ingredients to provide pit-stop refreshments with breathtaking views to green parkland.
Temporary exhibitions:
9.2.24 - 20.5.24: Impressionism and its overlooked women
In a magnificent exhibition featuring works from across the world, Ordrupgaard celebrates the 150th anniversary of the first of eight ground-breaking impressionist exhibitions that took place between 1874 and 1886 in Paris. Special focus will be directed at five women artists, all of whom were largely overlooked in the great narrative on Impressionism and the emergence of modern art.
Experience major works by Berthe Morisot (France) and Mary Cassatt (USA) as well as main works by lesser known artists such as Eva Gonzalès and Marie Bracquemond (both France) and Marie Bashkirtseff (Russia-Ukraine), of which the latter two have never previously been shown in Denmark. The exhibition follows their struggle to be included in art history, focusing on the mark their works left on the contemporary art scene – in the independent impressionist exhibitions as well as the major censured exhibitions at the Paris Salon. Many still consider Impressionism to be closely associated with depictions of Paris’ boulevards and night life. Nevertheless, as evident from the exhibition, the women artists mainly portray the private sphere – different and equally significant aspects of Impressionism and the modernity whence the movement emerged.