Kai Nielsen (sculptor)
Encyclopedia
Kai Nielsen was a Danish
sculptor.
, the son of Christian Nielsen, a watchmaker, and his wife Ane Marie. At 15 he became an apprentice painter but was artistically inclined and began to paint landscapes and portraits. At the same time he studied at the technical school in Svendborg where he was taught moulding by Edvard Eriksen
, later famous for creating The Little Mermaid
in Copenhagen
. In 1901 he moved to Copenhagen and took drawing classes to prepare for the Art Academy. When he applied, they rejected his drawings but accepted him into the Sculpture School in view of a portrait bust he had made in Svendborg and he became a student of Carl Aarsleff
. At the Academy he began a life-long friendship with Einar Utzon-Frank
who also studied sculpture. Together they explored the modern collections at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
where Nielsen was particularly impressed by the works of Auguste Rodin
and Constantin Meunier
.
. The Marble Girl attracted attention for its redefinition of the relationship between subject and material with its equal emphasis of the sculpture as woman figure and as stone block. It also introduced the rounded female forms which continued to be a dominant subject throughout his production.
A large portrait bust of Thorvald Bindesbøll
erected at Vester Boulevard (now H. C. Andersen Boulevard) in Copenhagen was his first large-scale commission in the portrait genre. It was followed by smaller portrait heads of artist colleagues such as Niels Larsen Stevns and Ludvig Karsten, the boxer Dick Nelson (1918) and more children.
One of Nielsen's first public sculptures, the Ymir Well from 1913 for a square in Faaborg, was controversial in its own day for the nudity of the jötunn Ymir
.
Around the same time he collaborated with the architect Iver Bentson on a redevelopment of Blågårds Plads
, a public square in one of the poorest working-class neighbourhoods in Copenhagen. His work, executed from 1912 to 1916, consists of 22 granite sculptures integrated in a low wall which encloses a central, rectangular section of the square. The sculptures all portray a person plying a trade—a tailor, a cooper, a baker—accompanied by an abundance of choppy toddlers. The intention was to celebrate the workers and the children of the surrounding community and their everyday lives. It provoked hefty debate and criticism when it was inaugurated but was innovative in its integration of the sculptures in a piece of street furniture and a functional context. The wall was intended for sitting and climbing on and the central space for children's play and also incorporated a scapbox.
From 1918 to 20 he created a compehensive for the Norwegian shipping magnate Anton Fredrik Klaveness's park outside Oslo
. Its centrepiece, The Water Mother, features prominently in the winter garden of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek which also holds the original plaster model.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
sculptor.
Early life and education
Kai Nielsen was born on 26 November 1882 in SvendborgSvendborg
Svendborg is a town on the island of Funen in south-central Denmark. The town is in Svendborg municipality . Svendborg is the second-largest city on Funen and has a population of 27,009 ....
, the son of Christian Nielsen, a watchmaker, and his wife Ane Marie. At 15 he became an apprentice painter but was artistically inclined and began to paint landscapes and portraits. At the same time he studied at the technical school in Svendborg where he was taught moulding by Edvard Eriksen
Edvard Eriksen
Edvard Eriksen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor. He is best known as the creator of the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, which he completed in 1913.-External links:...
, later famous for creating The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (statue)
The statue of The Little Mermaid sits on a rock in the harbour of the capital of Denmark. Based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen, the small and unimposing statue is a Copenhagen icon and a major tourist attraction....
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 1901 he moved to Copenhagen and took drawing classes to prepare for the Art Academy. When he applied, they rejected his drawings but accepted him into the Sculpture School in view of a portrait bust he had made in Svendborg and he became a student of Carl Aarsleff
Carl Aarsleff
Carl Vilhelm Oluf Peter Aarsleff was a Danish sculptor, He was a professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts from 1901 and from 1914 to 1917 served as its director.-Biography:...
. At the Academy he began a life-long friendship with Einar Utzon-Frank
Einar Utzon-Frank
Aksel Einar Utzon-Frank was a Danish sculptor and professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. During his lifetime, he produced a large number of sculptures, many of which stand as public monuments...
who also studied sculpture. Together they explored the modern collections at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
The Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark...
where Nielsen was particularly impressed by the works of Auguste Rodin
Auguste Rodin
François-Auguste-René Rodin , known as Auguste Rodin , was a French sculptor. Although Rodin is generally considered the progenitor of modern sculpture, he did not set out to rebel against the past...
and Constantin Meunier
Constantin Meunier
Constantin Meunier , Belgian painter and sculptor, was born in Etterbeek, Brussels.His first exhibit was a plaster sketch, "The Garland," shown at the Brussels Salon in 1851. Soon afterwards, on the advice of the painter Charles de Groux, he abandoned the chisel for the brush...
.
Career
Nielsen developed a socially conscious style (The Blind Girl, 1907, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek). He had his breakthrough with Naked (1908) which was acquired by the Danish National GalleryStatens Museum for Kunst
Statens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
. The Marble Girl attracted attention for its redefinition of the relationship between subject and material with its equal emphasis of the sculpture as woman figure and as stone block. It also introduced the rounded female forms which continued to be a dominant subject throughout his production.
A large portrait bust of Thorvald Bindesbøll
Thorvald Bindesbøll
Thorvald Bindesbøll was a Danish architect. He was one of Denmark's most important architects at the turn of the twentieth century....
erected at Vester Boulevard (now H. C. Andersen Boulevard) in Copenhagen was his first large-scale commission in the portrait genre. It was followed by smaller portrait heads of artist colleagues such as Niels Larsen Stevns and Ludvig Karsten, the boxer Dick Nelson (1918) and more children.
One of Nielsen's first public sculptures, the Ymir Well from 1913 for a square in Faaborg, was controversial in its own day for the nudity of the jötunn Ymir
Ymir
In Norse mythology, Ymir, also called Aurgelmir among the giants themselves, was the founder of the race of frost giants and was later killed by the Borrs.-Etymology:...
.
Around the same time he collaborated with the architect Iver Bentson on a redevelopment of Blågårds Plads
Blågårds Plads
Blågårds Plads is a public square attached to Blågårdsgade, a side street to Nørrebrogade in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark...
, a public square in one of the poorest working-class neighbourhoods in Copenhagen. His work, executed from 1912 to 1916, consists of 22 granite sculptures integrated in a low wall which encloses a central, rectangular section of the square. The sculptures all portray a person plying a trade—a tailor, a cooper, a baker—accompanied by an abundance of choppy toddlers. The intention was to celebrate the workers and the children of the surrounding community and their everyday lives. It provoked hefty debate and criticism when it was inaugurated but was innovative in its integration of the sculptures in a piece of street furniture and a functional context. The wall was intended for sitting and climbing on and the central space for children's play and also incorporated a scapbox.
From 1918 to 20 he created a compehensive for the Norwegian shipping magnate Anton Fredrik Klaveness's park outside Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. Its centrepiece, The Water Mother, features prominently in the winter garden of the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek which also holds the original plaster model.
Early death
Kai Nielsen died while working on a draft for a Maritime Monument (1924, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek) after several lengthy spells of illness.Statuettes
Kai Nielsen also created statuettes which were produced for Bing & Grondahl and H.A. Kähler.Museums
- Blind Peasant Girl, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek (1907)
- The Marble Girl, Danish National GalleryStatens Museum for KunstStatens Museum for Kunst is the Danish national gallery located in Copenhagen....
(marble, 1908) - Naked, Faaborg Museum (1810)
- Leda and the swan, Ny Carlsberg GlyptotekNy Carlsberg GlyptotekThe Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is an art museum in Copenhagen, Denmark...
(limestone, 1918) - Leda without swan , National Museum of SerbiaNational Museum of SerbiaThe National Museum is the largest and oldest museum in Serbia. It is located in Republic Square, Belgrade, Serbia. The museum was established on May 10, 1844. Since it was founded, its collections have to over 400,000 objects including many foreign masterpieces...
, Belgrade
Outdoor sculptures
- Thorvald Bindesbøll, H. C. Andersen Boulevard (1909–10)
- Ymir Well, FaaborgFaaborgFaaborg or Fåborg is a Danish town with a population of 7,178 , located in Faaborg-Midtfyn municipality on the island of Funen. It was formerly the seat of Faaborg municipality. The seat of the new municipality is Ringe...
(sandstone 1913, bronze 1964) - Sculptures, Blågårds PladsBlågårds PladsBlågårds Plads is a public square attached to Blågårdsgade, a side street to Nørrebrogade in the Nørrebro district of Copenhagen, Denmark...
, Copenhagen (1916) - Århus girl, Aarhus Central Station, AarhusAarhusAarhus 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...
(1921) - Venus with the apple, EnghaveparkenEnghaveparkenEnghaveparken is a public park in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was laid out in the late 1920s to cater for the citizens of the expanding city.The park is designed in the Neoclassical style...
, Copenhagen (1929)