Jørgen Gudmundsen-Holmgreen


Jørgen Gudmundsen-Holmgreen was a Danish sculptor.

Biography

Son of the artist Johan Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Gudmundsen-Holmgreen was born in Copenhagen where he studied sculpture under Anders Bundgaard from 1913 to 1915. Immediately afterwards, he was sent to Hanover to assist Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen in enlarging the horse for her equestrian statue of Christian IX.
In 1915, he presented Niobide, a statue of a boy, at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition, earning him a scholarship allowing him to travel widely in Europe. He became interested in classical Greek sculpture which became a constant source of inspiration in his later busts. His bronze masterpiece Josef was the culmination of several years' work in crafting youthful figures. After visiting Tunis in 1947, he developed a more intuitive approach. Gudmundsen-Holmgreen received many official commissions thanks to his fine eye for facial and psychological expression, although he was less adept in creating clothed figures.
One of Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's best known works is the bust of Niels Bohr which stands on Frue Plads outside the University of Copenhagen.
Gudmundsen-Holmgreen's brother Anders was also an artist while his son Pelle is a composer.

Awards

In 1946, Gudmundsen-Holmgreen was awarded the Eckersberg Medal and, in 1965, the Thorvaldsen Medal.