In the Danish Golden Age, an era of outstanding achievement in the first half of the 19th century, European Neoclassicism and Romanticism found a Danish expression, with concepts such as the Skagen and Funen Schools evolving out of some of the finest landscape painting, while prominent Danish members of the European COBRA group such as Asger Jorn took their inspiration from the artistry of their Viking forebears.

The Danish museums of art offer ample opportunity to appreciate the finest of both Danish and international art. Throughout the country, in the cities and provincial towns, and not least in metropolitan region, there are abundant museums and exhibition venues. Statens Museum for Kunst (The National Gallery) in Copenhagen contains collections representing Danish and international art from the 14th century to the present day.

At Thorvaldsens Museum, visitors can view works by Denmark’s famous sculptor and learn about his age. The internationally renowned Aros - Aarhus Art Museum is always a good choice. As well as the Aarhus Art Building. Silkeborg Museum of Art features the main proponent of the COBRA group, and at the Skagens Museum visitors can appreciate P.S. Krøyer and other members of the Skagen School.

The market towns often contain high-quality art museums. Here visitors can encounter the provocative art of people such as Michael Kvium, Bjørn Nørgaard and Christian Lemmerz, as well as Danish COBRA artists, Asger Jorn, Henry Heerup, Carl-Henning Pedersen and Ejler Bille, all of whom are well represented at the museums of art in Jutland. Golden Age masters such as Eckersberg and Hammershøi are also represented there.

The buildings that house the museums are often attractions in their own right, whether they are castles or manor houses or distinctive expressions of modern architecture. The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and Arken Museum of Modern Art near Copenhagen, the Bornholm Museum of Art, North Jutland Museum of Art in Aalborg, Aros - Aarhus Art Museum in Aarhus and the Trapholt Museum of Art near Kolding are showpieces of modern architecture.

Other museums were designed by fine artists. The painter Per Kirkeby designed the ground plan in the shape of Thor’s Hammer for the new museum complex in Aars in northern Jutland, and just a century ago, the painter J.F. Willumsen designed the premises of Den Frie Udstilling, drawing on a daring blend of Art Nouveau, Classical and Asian styles.

Danish art is also found in the open air, with sculptures and water art gracing the majority of Danish cities and towns and beautifying the streets and parks. But the open country also contains masterpieces. The Esbjerg waterfront boasts Svend Wiig Hansen’s monumental sculpture Mennesket ved Havet ('Man by the Sea'), consisting of four giant figure looking out over the North Sea. Northern Europe’s largest landscape sculpture Lyshøjen ('the Light Heights') is also installed near Esbjerg, while the former gravel pit, Tørskind Grusgrav, near Vejle contains a monumental sculpture park created by the Dane Robert Jacobsen and the Frenchman Jean Clareboudt.

Search for Danish Museums

Guide to Danish art museums
Guide to the Danish Golden Age
An art trip in Jutland 
The National Database on Art in Danish Museums
List of Danish artists
See example of Danish contemporary art