Jens Adolf Jerichau

Key facts

Lived

1890–1916, Danish

Movement

• Neoclassicism

1. 1890Born on 12 December in Denmark into a celebrated artistic dynasty: his grandfather, grandmother Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann and father Holger Jerichau were all painters.
2. 1909At 19, admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen as an architecture student. He soon switched to painting and created his entire life's work in just four years.
3. 1912At 22, became personally acquainted with Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse during travels abroad. Both Asger Jorn and Per Kirkeby later credited Jerichau with bringing modernism to Denmark.
4. 1916Took his own life on 16 August in his studio in Copenhagen, aged 25. Despite his brief career, he is considered a pivotal figure in early Danish modernism.

• What is Jens Adolf Jerichau known for?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau is known for his monumental works. He was a Danish sculptor and painter.
• What is Jens Adolf Jerichau's most famous work?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau was a Danish sculptor, and his most celebrated work is generally considered to be *The Panther Hunter* (Panterjægeren). Executed in marble, this piece gained considerable attention and acclaim during his lifetime. Jerichau created *The Panther Hunter* during a period when he was exploring themes of human strength and the relationship between humans and the natural world. The sculpture depicts a nude male figure locked in mortal combat with a panther. The hunter, muscular and athletic, struggles to subdue the ferocious beast. The work is admired for its dramatic tension and realistic portrayal of anatomy. Versions of *The Panther Hunter* can be found in several museum collections, including at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. The sculpture cemented Jerichau's position as a leading figure in Danish sculpture during the 19th century.
• What should I know about Jens Adolf Jerichau's prints?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau was a Danish sculptor; his prints are usually reproductions of his sculptures. During the 19th century, Denmark saw a rise in local sculpture production. Previously, smaller European countries such as Denmark relied on French artists and artisans for major projects. For example, Jacques-François-Joseph Saly, a French sculptor, created the equestrian statue of King Frederik V at Amalienborg Castle; Pierre Gor, also French, cast it in Copenhagen. From approximately 1840 to 1940, several Danish firms undertook sculpture casting. Jørgen Balthasar Dalhoff's workshop was the first; Dalhoff, originally a goldsmith, embraced new techniques and materials for casting in bronze, zinc, and terracotta. Lauritz Rasmussen's firm was the only one to operate for three generations, finally closing in 1967. Today, only a few small workshops in Denmark perform sculpture casting, with many sculptures sent to Italian foundries. In 1874, Carl Frederik Tietgen commissioned Ferdinand Meldahl to build a church; eighteen zinc statues were produced for it between 1883 and 1885 by ten sculptors and four founders.
• What style or movement did Jens Adolf Jerichau belong to?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau was a Neoclassical artist. Neoclassicism, which spanned roughly from 1780 to 1820, was a revival of classical antiquity in painting, sculpture, architecture, and furniture. It emerged as a reaction against the Rococo style. The 18th century, known as the Age of Enlightenment, valued reason and logic, which influenced the orderliness of Neoclassical art. Antiquity influenced Nicolai Abraham Abildgaard, a slightly earlier Danish artist; his instructors Johan Edvard Mandelberg and Johannes Wiedewelt were trained in Paris and Rome. Abildgaard's early work shows a classical approach. He studied in Rome from 1772 to 1777, developing an interest in history painting and Greek and Roman antiquity. Jacques-Louis David, a French painter and democrat, imitated Greek and Roman art to inspire the new French republic. Art became serious, illustrating tales from ancient history or mythology, with paintings that underscored patriotism.
• What techniques or materials did Jens Adolf Jerichau use?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau (1816-1883) was a Danish sculptor. He worked primarily in marble and bronze. Jerichau studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. There, he was taught by Bertel Thorvaldsen, who had a considerable influence on his artistic development. He adopted a neoclassical style, which is characterised by its emphasis on symmetry, proportion, and idealised forms. These principles are evident in his marble sculptures, such as "The Panther Hunter" (1846). Jerichau's bronze works include portrait busts and statues. These sculptures often depict historical or mythological figures. He aimed to capture a sense of movement and emotion in his bronzes, using techniques such as lost-wax casting to achieve a high level of detail. He also produced a number of plaster models, some of which were later cast in bronze or carved in marble. His methods were rooted in classical traditions, yet he also incorporated elements of romanticism into his work.
• What was Jens Adolf Jerichau known for?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau, a Danish sculptor, is best known for his contributions to the Neoclassical movement. After Canova and Thorvaldsen, he was one of the most important Neoclassical sculptors in Europe. Jerichau studied at the Copenhagen Academy, winning its grand gold medal, and then travelled to Rome. He spent much of his career there, working as a freelance sculptor. His breakthrough piece is considered to be the figure of Jason with the Golden Fleece. An English art connoisseur ordered a marble copy of the Jason, which stabilised Jerichau's finances and marked the start of an extensive workshop business. Some of the most important 19th-century sculptors worked there. Jerichau's work is characterised by its realism and combination of canonical beauty with originality. His sculptures remain free of the cool rationalism of which Neoclassicism is often accused.
• When did Jens Adolf Jerichau live and work?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau was born on 12 December 1863, in Løten, Hedmark County, Norway. His parents relocated to Oslo (then called Christiania) the following year. He began painting in earnest around 1880, and in November 1881, he entered the Royal School of Design. There, he attended freehand and modelling classes under sculptor Julius Middelthun. By June 1883, Jerichau participated in his first group exhibition in Oslo. That autumn, he joined Frits Thaulow's 'open-air academy' in Modum. In May 1885, a scholarship from Thaulow enabled him to travel to Paris, via Antwerp, for three weeks. He visited the Salon and the Louvre, where he was particularly impressed by Manet. Jerichau spent much of his time in Germany until 1908, with stays in Paris and summers in Norway. He exhibited extensively in Germany, Paris, and Scandinavia. He died on 23 January 1944.
• Where can I see Jens Adolf Jerichau's work?+

  While specific locations holding works by Jens Adolf Jerichau are not widely published, museum directories may help you locate his paintings and sculptures. In Europe, many museums in Germany hold collections of paintings from the same period. These include the Kunsthalle in Bremen, the Nationalgalerie in Berlin, the Ludwig Museum and Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne, and the Kunsthalle in Hamburg. Other European museums with relevant collections are the Musée du Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, both in Paris; the Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique in Brussels; and the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh. In the United States, museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts may include Jerichau's work in their collections. You can also check museum websites or catalogues for specific holdings.
• Where was Jens Adolf Jerichau from?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau was Danish. Several artists from Denmark achieved international recognition in the neoclassical style. Johannes Wiedewelt helped introduce neoclassicism to the Copenhagen court. He studied in Paris and Rome, then became a court artist in Copenhagen. Bertel Thorvaldsen was another internationally known Danish artist. Denmark relied on French artists for major sculpture projects during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Jacques-François-Joseph Saly, a French sculptor, created the equestrian statue of King Frederik V at Amalienborg Castle; it was cast by Pierre Gor in Copenhagen. Saly later became director of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Abraham César L’amoureux, assisted by his brother Claude, sculpted the statue of King Christian V on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen.
• Who did Jens Adolf Jerichau influence?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau (1816-1883) was a Danish sculptor. It is difficult to identify any direct artistic inheritors of Jerichau's style or approach. However, his career is an interesting example of the wider artistic environment of 19th-century Europe. Jerichau's work was part of the wider classical revival, which was itself subject to later revision. His idealised, classical style was popular during his lifetime; however, later generations moved away from Neoclassical sculpture. His wife, Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann, was a painter. Their son, Harald Jerichau, also became a painter. He studied at the Düsseldorf Academy, and his paintings often featured Italian subjects. The family's artistic activities created a stimulating environment; however, Harald's artistic style moved away from his father's classicism, reflecting changing artistic tastes. While Jerichau may not have had direct artistic descendants, his career provides a viewpoint into the artistic and cultural shifts of his time. He navigated the changing tides of European art, and his family continued to engage with the art world.
• Who influenced Jens Adolf Jerichau?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau (1816-1883) was a Danish sculptor. He received instruction at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. There, he studied under Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770-1844). Thorvaldsen's influence on Jerichau is evident in Jerichau's neoclassical style. Thorvaldsen had himself studied in Rome; he later became a professor at the Academy. His impact on Danish sculpture was considerable. Jerichau's work also shows the influence of other classical sculptors. His subjects were often drawn from Greek and Roman mythology. Examples include his marble statue of Penelope (1847) and his bronze statue of Hercules and Hebe (1845). These sculptures reflect the neoclassical focus on idealised forms and classical themes. Jerichau lived in Rome for many years, absorbing its artistic heritage. His time in Italy further solidified his connection to classical traditions.
• Who was Jens Adolf Jerichau?+

  Jens Adolf Jerichau was a Danish sculptor and painter. He was born in 1816 and died in 1883.