Charlottenborg Palace ( da, Charlottenborg Slot) is a large town mansion located on the corner of

Kongens Nytorv Kongens Nytorv ( lit. "The King's New Square") is a public square in Copenhagen, Denmark, centrally located at the end of the pedestrian street Strøget. The largest square of the city, it was laid out by Christian V in 1670 in connection wit ...

and

Nyhavn Nyhavn (; New Harbour) is a 17th-century waterfront, canal and entertainment district in Copenhagen, Denmark. Stretching from Kongens Nytorv to the harbour front just south of the Royal Playhouse, it is lined by brightly coloured 17th and early 1 ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. Originally built as a residence for Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve, it has served as the base of the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dan ...

since its foundation in 1754. Today it also houses

Kunsthal Charlottenborg Kunsthal Charlottenborg is an exhibition building in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the official exhibition gallery of the Royal Danish Academy of Art. History Charlottenborg Palace was constructed in 1672–83 as a residence for Ulrik Frederik Gy ...

, an institution for contemporary art, and Danmarks Kunstbibliotek, the Royal Art Library.

History

Gyldenløve's mansion

The site was donated by King Christian V to his half brother Ulrik Frederik Gyldenløve on 22 March 1669 in connection with the establishment of

. Gyldenløve built his new mansion from 1672 to 1683 as the first building on the new square. The main wing and two lateral wings were built from 1672 to 1677, probably under the architect

Ewert Janssen Ewert Janssen or Evert Janssen (died c. 1692) was a Danish architect who became a royal masterbuilder in 1668. His greatest achievement was Charlottenborg Palace in Copenhagen. Life and achievements Ewert Janssen, along with Ernst Brandenburge ...

. In 1783 the mansion was extended with a rear, fourth wing designed by

Lambert van Haven Lambert van Haven (16 April 1630 - 9 May 1695) was a Danish-Norwegian architect, master builder and painter. He was born in Bergen, the son of the artist Solomon van Haven who had already succeeded in winning the favour of the Danish-Norwegian mo ...

. The bricks used were brought from

Kalø Castle Kalø Castle ( da, Kalø Slot) is a ruined castle located in eastern Jutland, in Denmark, 20 km from the city of Aarhus within Mols Bjerge National Park. History The castle was constructed in 1313 by the Danish king Erik Menved (Erik VI ...

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

, which Gyldenløve owned and had pulled down. In his old age, the large mansion became too big for Gyldenløve, who sold it to the dowager queen Charlotte Amalie in 1700, hence the name. Gyldenløve built a new, smaller mansion on the corner of Bredgade and

Dronningens Tværgade Dronningens Tværgade ( lit. "The Queen's Cross Street") is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, which runs from Bredgade to Rosenborg Castle Garden. The street originally formed a link between the King's Garden (Rosenborg Castle Gardens) and t ...

which became known as "Gyldenløve's little mansion", now

Moltke's Mansion The Moltke's Mansion is a town mansion on the corner of Bredgade and Dronningens Tværgade in Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of several town mansions in Frederiksstaden, although it actually predates the neighbourhood by half a century. It was b ...

, after a later owner, where he lived until his death in 1705. After King Christian V´s death in 1699 the

queen mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also u ...

, Charlotte Amalie, purchased the palace for 50,000 Danish crowns and it was renamed Charlottenborg Palace. In 1714, when the Queen Dowager died, the place was passed to King Christian VI. Renovations began in 1736–1737, and its use and users shifted for a period of time. A small theater was constructed and used for various concerts, operas and theatrical performances. The palace garden contained the

Botanical Garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

between 1778 and 1872.

The Royal Danish Academy of Arts

In 1701, the old Academy of Arts began its activities in the palace. The small school slowly grew and was finally formally inaugurated in the Charlottenborg Palace on March 31, 1754. In 1787, the ownership of the palace was transferred to the

Royal Danish Academy of Art The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts ( da, Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi - Billedkunst Skolerne) has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Dani ...

. The academy still occupies the palace.

Architecture

Charlottenborg is a four-winged, three-storey building designed in the

Dutch Baroque architecture Dutch Baroque architecture is a variety of Baroque architecture that flourished in the Dutch Republic and its colonies during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. (Dutch painting during the period is covered by Dutch Golden Age painting). Li ...

style but also with some Italian influence. The main wing towards the square has a central

risalit An ''avant-corps'' ( it, avancorpo or , plural , german: Risalit, pl, ryzalit), a French term literally meaning "fore-body", is a part of a building, such as a porch or pavilion, that juts out from the ''corps de logis'', often taller than othe ...

flanked by two more pronounced, two-bay corner risalit. All three are topped by balustrades. The central risalit is decorated with Corinthian pilasters and a Tuscan/Doric portal with balcony The facade has sandstone decorations and window pediments. The lower rear wing consists of three pavilions. The central pavilion has a Tuscan arcade below, niches with busts above, and a lantern on the copper-covered roof.

Interior

The floor plan is reminiscent of French castles. It has a piano nobile with a banquet hall above the main entrance, with access to the balcony, a ground floor with lower ceilings, and a second floors for servants with even lower ones. This arrangement became characteristic of mansions and upper-class town houses in the entire 18th century. In the rear wing, above the arcade, there is a well-preserved domed Baroque room with a splendid stucco ceiling.

Contemporary activities

, Exhibition Hall *

Danish National Art Library The Danish National Art Library is the national research library for architecture, art history, visual arts and museology in Denmark. It was founded in 1754 as part of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and has been located at Charlottenborg' ...

Cultural references

* In the 2015 drama film ''

The Danish Girl ''The Danish Girl'' is a novel by American writer David Ebershoff, published in 2000 by the Viking Press in the United States and Allen & Unwin in Australia. Summary The novel is a fictionalized account of the life of Lili Elbe, one of the fi ...

'', Charlottenborg is the location where

Einar Einar is a Scandinavian given name deriving from the Old Norse name Einarr, which according to Guðbrandur Vigfússon is directly connected with the concept of the einherjar, warriors who died in battle and ascended to Valhalla in Norse mytholog ...

(

Eddie Redmayne Edward John David Redmayne (; born 6 January 1982) is an English actor. Known for his roles in biopics and blockbusters, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Olivier Awards. He ...

) and Gerda (

Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander (, ; born 3 October 1988) is a Swedish actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Critics' Choice Movie Award, as well as receiving nominations for ...

) meet as students at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.

References

External links

Det Kongelige Danske Kunstakademi

Kunsthal Charlottenborg

Danmarks Kunstbibliotek
{{Coord, 55.680, N, 12.587, E, display=title, source:dewiki Palaces in Copenhagen Tourist attractions in Copenhagen Culture in Copenhagen History of Copenhagen Houses completed in 1677 Baroque architecture in Copenhagen Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts Houses in Copenhagen Gammelholm 1677 establishments in Denmark