Jens Søndergaard
Encyclopedia
Jens Søndergaard 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.
. 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
. 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 in Copenhagen
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
and Italy
. The same year, he became a member of the artists’ group Grønningen
, and exhibited his works there until his death.
In 1931, he received the Eckersberg Medal
, and in 1946 the Thorvaldsen Medal
.
Søndergaard died in 1957, after a long period of illness.
, at Ferring
on the west coast of Jutland
. Once his own summer residence and atelier, the small wooden house lies right at the coast to the North Sea.
Biography
Jens Søndergaard was born in the small town Øster Assels on the island of MorsMors (island)
Mors or Morsø is a 367.7 km2 land locked island in the shallow sound called Limfjorden in Denmark. As of 1 January 2010, it has a population of 21,800. The main town on the island is called Nykøbing Mors. Geologically Mors is unique...
. His father, Anders Søndergaard, was a painter, but later opened a bicycle shop in Hurup
Hürup
Hürup is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is situated approx. 7 km southeast of Flensburg.Hürup is the seat of the Amt of Hürup....
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
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
. 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 in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
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
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The same year, he became a member of the artists’ group Grønningen
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 and currently has 54 members...
, and exhibited his works there until his death.
In 1931, he received the Eckersberg Medal
Eckersberg Medal
The Eckersberg Medal is an annual award of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts...
, and in 1946 the Thorvaldsen Medal
Thorvaldsen Medal
The Thorvaldsen Medal is awarded annually with few exceptions to a varying number of recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and is its highest destinction within the visual arts...
.
Søndergaard died in 1957, after a long period of illness.
Legacy
Many of Søndergaard's works can be seen at the Jens Søndergaard Museum, a part of Museum of LemvigLemvig
Lemvig is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in west Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 510 km², and has a population of 22,067 . Its mayor is Erik Flyvholm, a member of the Venstre political party.The main town and the site of its municipal...
, at Ferring
Ferring
Ferring is a village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England. It is part of the built-up area of Worthing and is located on the A259 road west of the town. The parish has a land area of 430.6 hectares...
on the west coast of Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. Once his own summer residence and atelier, the small wooden house lies right at the coast to the North Sea.