Art historical archives
This enormous study collection, dealing especially with Danish art and art history, consists of private archives and clipping collections, most of which became part of the Library as gifts from Danish art historians and critics. More
What does the collection contain?
Among the particularly valuable collections are Hjalmar Bruhn’s Collection of cuttings, Gunnar Jespersen’s collection, Ejgil Nikolajsen’s collection and Sigurd Schultz’s collection. Most of the collections concentrate on individual artists and contain a variety of materials, such as cuttings from exhibition catalogues, magazines and newspapers etc.
Hjalmar Bruhn’s Collection+
What can I use the collection for?
Shipbroker and art collector Hjalmar Bruhn’s (1881-1959) enormous, well-ordered art historical collection makes possible a comprehensive overview of the most important older literature about Danish art in the period ca. 1800-1940.
What does the collection contain
The collection includes monographs on individual artists, catalogues of their works and cuttings from lexicons, magazines and newspapers. In all the collection consists of 179 volumes: 160 volumes of material on individual artists, 11 volumes of diverse art criticism and 8 volumes of clippings about individual major art collections. The collection’s central point of reference is Danish painting of the 19th century.
How do I search?
The material is registered in the Library catalogue and can be found by searching a person’s name combined with the name of the collection e.g. ”Eckersberg Hj. Bruhns udklipssamling”. The material may only be used in the Library Reading Room at Nyhavn 2..
Gunnar Jespersen’s Collection+
What does the collection contain?
Art critic Gunnar Jespersen’s (1922-1994) collection consists of envelopes and albums of cuttings from newspapers and exhibition catalogues. Also in the collection are photographs taken in connection with Jespersen’s articles in daily newspapers (mostly Politiken). The collection covers Danish and foreign art, with the main emphasis on Danish art of the 20th century and artists from other countries who have exhibited in Denmark.
How do I search?
The largest part of the collection is arranged according to artist. The individual envelopes and albums can be searched for in the Library catalogue. Searchings in the collection are by combining the personal name with that of the collection, e.g. “ Asger Jorn Gunnar Jespersens Samling”. The material may only be used in the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2.
Pierre Lübecker’s Collection+
What does the collection contain?
The collection mainly contains the art critic Pierre Lübecker’s (1921-1990) own original articles about Danish and foreign art, as well as various cuttings etc. from the period 1934-1989.
How do I order/request the material?
The material can be requested for use in the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2 following receipt of a mail sent to dkb@kunstbib.dk
Lübecker's correspondence with Danish artists is at present in Det Kongelige Bibliotek.
Sigurd Schultz’s Collection+
What does the collection contain?
Museum director Sigurd Schultz’s (1894-1980) collection consists mainly of material about Danish artist in the 20th century. The collection contains newspaper cuttings, magazine articles, exhibition and auction catalogues, invitations, offprints, photographs together with unique material in the form of original letters, plus Sigurd Schultz’s own notes and manuscripts.
How do I order/request material?
The collection’s more than 2.500 sheets dealing with individual people is searchable in the Library catalogue. Searches in the collection are done by combining a personal name with that of the collection, e.g, “Wilhelm Freddie Sigurd Schultz’ samling”. The collection may only be used in the Library Reading Room at Nyhavn 2.
Meïr Stein’s Collection+
What does the collection contain?
The art historian Meïr Stein’s (1920-1995) collection of French and Danish art and art history, especially the Danish-French artistic collections, are related to his work as head of the Selskab for Fransk Kunst (The French Art Society) . The collection consists of 40 ring-binders of cuttings from Danish and French newspapers, magazines, exhibition catalogues, auction catalogues and individual original letters.
The collection is divided up under the following headings:
- Danske kunstnere med tilknytning til Frankrig, ordnet alfabetisk (Danish artists with links to France, in alphabetical order)
- Franske kunstnere, ordnet alfabetisk (French artists in alphabetical order)
- Danske artikler om fransk kunst, inddelt efter forfattere (Danish articles on French art, arranged according to author)
- Franske kunstners værker, inddelt efter perioder 17.-20. århundrede (French artists’ works, arranged according to periods, 17th – 20th century)
- Fransk kunst, inddelt efter perioder 16.-20. århundrede (French art, arranged according to periods 16th – 20th century)
- Kunstskribenter, specielt danske og franske (Writers on art, especially Danish and French.)
How do I order/request the material?
The material can be requested for the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2 following receipt of a mail sent to dkb@kunstbib.dk
Certain other art historians have bequeathed material to the Library in the form of card indexes, notes, correspondence, manuscripts etc.
See in more detail below:
Merete Bodelsen’s Archive+
Merete Bodelsen’s (1907-1986) impressively long career included periods with Dansk biografisk Leksikon (The Danish Biographical Lexicon) and Weilbachs Kunstnerleksikon (3. edition. s.m. Povl Engelstoft). Among the areas with which she worked were the Danish-French art connection and published work about artists including J.F. Willumsen and Paul Gauguin.
How do I order/request the material?
The material can be requested for the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2 following receipt of a mail sent to dkb@kunstbib.dk
Jean Grandjean's Archive+
Ejner Johansson's Archive+
Ejner Johansson (1922-2001) was A Danish art historian and art critic. He was among the first to develop a presentation of art on television in Denmark. Among the subjects he addressed was art of the Danish Golden Age, and he was author of books on C.W. Eckersberg, Vilhelm Bendz and the Danish Golden Age artists in Munich. However he also wrote about such artists as Richard Mortensen and Robert Jacobsen. The archive contains manuscripts and collections of material for both published and unpublished articles and books, as well as, i.a. cuttings etc.
The material can be requested for the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2 following receipt of a mail sent to dkb@kunstbib.dk
Ellen Poulsen’s Archive+
Ellen Poulsen (1911-1995) was for many years on the staff of The Royal Collection of Graphic Art at Statens Museum for Kunst (The National Gallery of Denmark). A principal field in her research was the art of Jens Juel.
How do I order/request the material?
The material can be requested for the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2 following receipt of a mail sent to dkb@kunstbib.dk
Bente Skovgaard's and Leo Swane's Abildgaard archive+
Leo Swane (1887-1967) and Bente Skovgaard (1924-2004) were respectively director and chief curator at the Statens Museum for Kunst (National Gallery of Denmark). Both published a number of important works of the painter Nicolai Abildgaard. Swane entrusted his archive about Abildgaard to Skovgaard, who testamentary trusted all the materiale, including her own to the Danmarks Kunstbibliotek (The Danish National Art Library)
How do I order/request the material?
The collection is registered/indexed and can be ordered/requested by searching the name of the creator of the archive in the Library catalogue (in this case: "Bente Skovgaards arkiv"). Please remember to book a time for your visit to the Study Room in Søborg - Book a time for the Study Room
Else Kai Sass' Archive+
Else Kai Sass (1912-1987) was an art historian, director at Thorvaldsens Museum 1945-1954, and professor of the subject, first at Århus University 1954-1967, where, at the same time, she was responsible for the Art Department of Århus Museum (later Århus Kunstmuseum), and then at Copenhagen University 1967-1978. Among the subjects on which she has written are Thorvaldsen, Abraham Wuchters and methods. The collection consists chiefly of scrapbooks
How do I order/request material?
The material can be requested for the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2 following receipt of a mail sent to dkb@kunstbib.dk
Viggo Thorlacius-Ussing's Archive+
Viggo Thorlacius-Ussing (1891-1978), Director of the Ny Carlsberg Foundation (1946-61), head of Statens kunsthistoriske Fotografisamling (The National Art Historical Photography Collection) 1922-1972 and of Skagens Museum 1938-1950, author of a number of works, themes including the art of sculpture in the Danish Middle Ages and Renaissance.
What does the archive contain?
- I. Catalogue slips, correspondences, notes. Sheets 1-4
- II. Correspondence, notes, photographs. Sheets 5-7
- III. Catalogue slips, correspondence, notes, photographs, manuscripts, archive print-outs, publications, newspaper cuttings. Sheets 8-14
- IV. Archive print-outs, photographs, publications. Sheets 15-17
- V. Notes, photographs dealing with the collection of art and Late Medieval sculpture. 3 sheets
- VI. Wall texts/plates for Viggo Thorlacius-Ussing’s projected book on the Akademi’s art collection.
- VII. Unmounted photographs of works from the Akademi’s art collection. Taken as a model for the plates for Viggo Thorlacius-Ussing’s projected book about the collection
- VIII. Photographs, notes and lecture/lectures on Late Medieval sculpture in wood. 2 sheets
- IX. Photographs of Late Medieval altar tables with sculpture in wood
- X. Newspaper cuttings
- XI. Two protocols with typed transcripts from the Kunstakademi’s inventories in the Kunstakademi’s Archives, the Record Office and diverse loose leaves with transcripts of documents dealing with the Akademi’s art collection
- XII. Spring binder containing 55 plates of paintings from the Akademi’s art collection
- XIII. Spring binder containing 34 plates of sculpture from the Akademi’s art collection
How do I order/request the material?
The collection is registered/indexed and can be ordered/requested by searching under the name of the creator of the archive in the Library catalogue. PLEASE REMEMBER to book a time for your visit to the Study Room in Søborg - Book a time for the Study Room
Grete Zahle’s Archive+
Grete Zahle (1907-2006) was a Danish draughtswoman, painter and art historian. Among her work are texts about the painters Jens Søndergaard and Peter Hansen.
The material can be requested for the Reading Room at Nyhavn 2 following receipt of a mail sent to dkb@kunstbib.dk
