Museums- Single View
Statens Museum for Kunst
Tuesday - Sunday 10-17
Wednesday 10-20
Monday closed
Tel.: | 3374 8494 |
---|---|
Fax: | 3374 8494 |
E-Mail: | smk@smk.dk |
Web: | http://www.smk.dk/smk.nsf/docs/forside!opendocument |
The Collections
Seven hundred years of art - from the early Renaissance up to the present day
"The museum collects, registers, maintains, researches in
and handles Danish and foreign art dating from the 14th Century
till the present day, mostly with their origins in western
culture circles. As far as the Danish art is concerned the
museum must invest in and maintain representative
collections.
The museum's collections constitute almost 9,000 paintings and
sculptures, approx. 300,000 works of art on paper as well as
more than 2,600 plaster casts of figures from ancient times,
the middle-ages and the Renaissance. The major part of the
museum's older collections comes from the art chambers of
Danish kings.
The museum's collections are presented in both new and old
surroundings. In November 1998 Statens Museum for Kunst
re-opened after completing rebuilding and renovation. The old
and new buildings are connected by one large-scale amalgamation
between past and present. Facing the front is the old building
and from Østre Anlæg is a new and modern building - seen from
the side is a glass-covered street that connects the old and
new buildings.
The older pieces of art of foreign and Danish origin are
presented in the 103 years old building which was designed by
architect Jens Vilhelm Dahlerup. This selection includes works
by Bloemart, Jordaens, Gijsbrechts, Abildgaard, Jens Juel and
L.A. Ring, among others. In the new extension, designed by
architect Anna Maria Indrio the newer pieces and completely
modern art are arranged, showing works by Danish and Foreign
artists such as Matisse, Braque, Weie, Kirkeby,
Smithson."
Read about The Royal Cast Collection.
Read about The Royal Collection of Painting and
Sculpture.
Read about The Royal Collection of Prints and
Drawings.
Explore Icons in the collection of Statens Museum
for Kunst.
Visit our web exhibition on the theme "A view to an insight".
Send a postcard from Statens Museum for
Kunst.
Ornamental historicism - simple
modernism
"The old museum building dates back to 1896 and was
designed by the architect Wilhelm Dahlerup. This building
reflects the exuberant joy - so typical of the period - taken
in mixing several historical styles. This is most clearly
evident from the richly decorated facade and the imposing
entrance, which makes for a solemn transition from the outside
world into the museum collections.
Until the 1960s, a huge staircase dominated the Entrance Hall.
Here, museum visitors could ascend to the first floor, which
was devoted to paintings. The ground floor presented the
museum's collection of plaster casts of historical sculptures.
Today, this particular aspect of the museum has its own
exhibition venue: the Royal Cast Collection in Toldbodgade,
near the Royal Palace of Amalienborg.
The museum was short of space from the very beginning. It was
not until 1970, however, that the amount of floor space
available for exhibitions was increased. This was done by
roofing two atrium wells in the middle of the museum.
The 1998 extension has provided the museum with a significant
- and much-needed - increase in the exhibition space available.
The magnificent, modernist extension building is situated in
parallel with Dahlerup's old museum, opening the house up
towards the surrounding parkland. The architect Anna Maria
Indrio from the major Danish firm of architects "C.F. Møllers
tegnestue" created the new architecture. The two widely
different buildings are separate entities, yet linked by a
glass-roofed Sculpture Street, with footbridges connecting the
first floors. The two buildings meet and merge in a single
fluid movement while also clearly demarcating their distinctive
characters and the architectural differences between
them."
Literature: Arkitektur DK, 8, 1998.
Statens Museum for Kunst