Church frescos or church wall paintings ( Danish: ''kalkmalerier'') are to be found in some 600 churches across Denmark, no doubt representing the highest concentration of surviving church murals anywhere in the world. Most of them date back to the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

and were uncovered by

Jacob Kornerup Jacob Kornerup (19 November 1825 – 9 March 1913) was a Danish archeologist and painter who is remembered above all for discovering and restoring medieval frescos in Danish churches.reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

, they were covered with

limewash Whitewash, calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, asbestis or lime paint is a type of paint made from slaked lime (calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or chalk (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), sometimes known as "whiting". Various other additives are sometimes us ...

(Danish: ''kalk'') only to be revealed and restored during the course of the 19th and 20th centuries. In most of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

medieval

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

s, extremely common in the Middle Ages, were more likely to be removed completely during the Reformation or in subsequent rebuildings, or merely as they aged. The oldest

s, dating back to the 12th century, were painted in the

Romanesque style Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe that was predominant in the 11th and 12th centuries. The style eventually developed into the Gothic style with the shape of the arches providing a simple distinction: the Ro ...

by artists from elsewhere in Europe but those from the 14th century and thereafter are in the

Gothic style Gothic architecture is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It evolved from Romanesque ar ...

which was used by native Danish painters. It is these that are considered to be the most important for

Danish art Danish art is the visual arts produced in Denmark or by Danish artists. It goes back thousands of years with significant artifacts from the 2nd millennium BC, such as the Trundholm sun chariot. For many early periods, it is usually considered ...

and

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

. A distinction is to be made between these church wall paintings or ''kalkmalerier'' and the generic term "fresco" (Danish: ''fresko'') which refers to all types of painting on plastered walls or ceilings.

Historical background

The murals in Danish churches can be divided very roughly into two main periods: Romanesque, beginning in the 12th century, and Gothic, from the middle of the 13th century. As in most of Europe the transition in painting styles was less abrupt than in architecture. Painting styles are closely related to those of the neighbouring areas of North Germany and South Sweden, especially the province of

Scania Scania ( ), also known by its native name of Skåne (), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces () of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous w ...

, which was Danish territory in the Middle Ages.

Romanesque period

With the development of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

and the construction of stone churches, Romanesque art came to Denmark from the rest of Europe, with influences mostly from North Germany and the Anglo-Norman English Channel area, and possibly even some from Spain and Italy. Some of this no doubt came from imported manuscripts; there are no surviving "indigenous illuminated manuscripts of significance" from Scandinavia in this period. Many of the churches in

Sealand The Principality of Sealand () is a micronation on HM Fort Roughs (also known as Roughs Tower), an offshore platform in the North Sea. It is situated on Rough Sands, a sandbar located approximately from the coast of Suffolk and from the coa ...

, especially those in Måløv,

Jørlunde Jørlunde is a village with a population of 295 (1 January 2024) in North Zealand in Denmark. In the late Viking age and early medieval age, Jørlunde was the center of the Hvide clan. Jørlunde Church (''Joerlunde Kirke'') was erected by Skjalm ...

, Slaglille, Sæby and Kirke Hyllinge, have highly artistic murals dating back to the 12th century. The colours were often imported at considerable cost and the paintings, usually of figures, were true frescos, completed on wet plaster in traditionally geometrical compositions with a blue or green background. Several Sealand church

apse In architecture, an apse (: apses; from Latin , 'arch, vault'; from Ancient Greek , , 'arch'; sometimes written apsis; : apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical Vault (architecture), vault or semi-dome, also known as an ' ...

s have a variant of the usual

Christ in Majesty Christ in Majesty or Christ in Glory () is the Western Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, always seen frontally in the centre of the composition, and often flanked by other sacred figures, whose membership change ...

subject, where Christ is surrounded by the

Evangelists' symbols In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts. In the New Testament, they bear the following titles: the Gospel of Matthew; t ...

, flanked by the Virgin and Saint John with archangels or other figures (Alsted shown above).

Gothic period

There was a lengthy but smooth transition towards

Gothic art Gothic art was a style of medieval art that developed in Northern France out of Romanesque art in the 12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, and much of Northern Europe, Norther ...

, beginning in the middle of the 13th century but extending well into the 15th when many of the flat wooden church ceilings were replaced by brick vaulting. The curvature of the vaults called for new techniques rather than simply following pictures from

illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared manuscript, document where the text is decorated with flourishes such as marginalia, borders and Miniature (illuminated manuscript), miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Churc ...

s. The figures no longer stand in a coloured background but are painted directly on the white limewash. Increasingly, the white areas between the figures are filled with stars, flowers, plants and other ornaments. The figures often appear more conventional than in the Romanesque murals. Gothic church murals are found throughout Denmark and in the south of Sweden, and can often be identified as coming from workshops such as the ones in Elmelunde on the island of

Møn Møn () is an island in south-eastern Denmark. Until 1 January 2007, it was a municipality in its own right but it is now part of the municipality of Vordingborg Municipality, Vordingborg, after merging with the former municipalities of Langeb ...

and

Isefjord Ise Fjord () is a deeply branched arm of the sea into the Danish island Zealand. From its relatively narrow entrance from the Kattegat at Hundested and Rørvig, branches of Ise Fjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern part of Zea ...

in northwestern Sealand. Knights in combat became regarded as a suitable subject for church walls.

Post-Reformation

The Reformation essentially ended the traditions of church wall-paintings in all Protestant counties. The large anti-Catholic fresco, following a print of 1525 by

Sebald Beham Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings. Born in Nuremberg, he spent the later part of his career in Frankfurt. He was one of the most important of the " Little Masters", the gro ...

, in the parish church of

Brøns Brøns is a village in Tønder Municipality in Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark. As of 1 January 2025 it has a population of 374. It is located close to the Wadden Sea, 5 km north of Skærbæk, 16 km south of Ribe and 31 km north of Tønder. ...

is one of few such works in Europe.

Notable examples of wall paintings

In many of Denmark's churches, wall paintings have been restored. Listed below are some of the most interesting examples:

Aarhus Cathedral

The murals in

Aarhus Cathedral Aarhus Cathedral () is a cathedral in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the longest and tallest church in the country, at in length and in height. The construction of Aarhus Cathedral began in the 12th century and it is the main edifice of the diocese of ...

date from 1470 to 1520. Until the Reformation, most of the church's walls were covered in frescos but many were lost. The cathedral still has 220 m² of frescoes, more than any other church in Denmark. One pre-1470 painting was saved from the first Romanesque-style cathedral in the northwest corner, the so-called ''Lazarus Window'', painted about 1300. The paintings of

St Christopher Saint Christopher (, , ; ) is venerated by several Christian denominations. According to these traditions, he was a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd-century Roman emperor Decius (), or alternatively under the emperor Maximinus Daia (). ...

and St Clement are the tallest in the country. Other figures include

St Michael Michael, also called Saint Michael the Archangel, Archangel Michael and Saint Michael the Taxiarch is an archangel and the warrior of God in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second- ...

and

St George Saint George (;Geʽez: ጊዮርጊስ, , ka, გიორგი, , , died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was an early Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to holy tradition, he was a soldier in the R ...

with the dragon (pictured).

Sulsted Church

Sulsted Sulsted is a small Danish town with a population of 1,521 (1 January 2024)Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

. The

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, built during the second half of the 12th century, is richly decorated with late-Gothic frescos, all painted by Hans Maler from

Randers Randers () is a city in Randers Municipality, Central Denmark Region on the Jutland peninsula. It is List of cities and towns in Denmark, Denmark's sixth-largest city, with a population of 64,511 ().Life of Christ'' starting with his birth in the first section at the west end of the nave, continue with the beginning of his

Passion Passion, the Passion or the Passions may refer to: Emotion * Passion (emotion), a very strong feeling about a person or thing * Passions (philosophy), emotional states as used in philosophical discussions * Stoic passions, various forms of emotio ...

in the second or central section and end with his death on the cross in the third most easterly section. Those in the choir are of other

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

images related to the creed and to the

Life of the Virgin The Life of the Virgin, showing narrative scenes from the life of Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a common subject for pictorial cycles in Christian art, often complementing, or forming part of, a cycle on the Life of Christ. In both cases the ...

Fanefjord Church

Fanefjord Church Fanefjord Church (''Fanefjord kirke'') is on the Danish island of Møn. It is located in an open setting overlooking the Baltic Sea inlet of Fanefjord between Store Damme and Hårbølle. Standing on the top of a small hill, the church's red-til ...

on the island of

in southeastern Denmark is richly decorated with frescos which were uncovered from 1932 to 1934 under the guidance of the

National Museum A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...

. In 2009, major restoration work was completed on the frescos, revealing their original colours and impact. The earliest paintings, on the triumphal arch, were created around 1350. They depict the

Four Evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

, as well as

and

. The most famous frescos are however those dating back to about 1500 which cover large areas of the church's ceiling and upper walls. In the so-called

Biblia pauperum The (Latin for "Paupers' Bible") was a tradition of picture Bibles beginning probably with Ansgar, and a common printed block-book in the later Middle Ages to visualize the typological correspondences between the Old and New Testaments. Unlike ...

style, they present many of the most popular stories from the Old and

s in

typological A typology is a system of classification used to organize things according to similar or dissimilar characteristics. Groups of things within a typology are known as "types". Typologies are distinct from taxonomies in that they primarily address t ...

juxtapositions. The artist, who can be identified by his emblem, is known simply as the

Elmelunde Master The Elmelunde Master, Danish ''Elmelundemesteren'', is the designation given to the nameless 16th-century artist who painted the frescos in the churches of Elmelunde Church, Elmelunde, Fanefjord Church, Fanefjord and Keldby Church, Keldby on the ...

as it was he who also painted the frescos in Møn's

Elmelunde Church Elmelunde Church, famous for its frescos, is located in the village of Elmelunde, Møn, in southeastern Denmark. It stands high above the surroundings just south of the main road from Stege to the white cliffs of Møn. The impressive whitewashed ...

. The warm colours ranging from dark red and russet to yellow, green, grey and black are distinctive. Keldby kirke

Keldby Church

Keldby Church Keldby Church, famous for its frescoes, is located on the main road to Møns Klint in the village of Keldby, 4 km east of Stege, Denmark, Stege on the Danish island of Møn. The imposing red brick church is one of the three Møn churches dec ...

, 4 km east of Stege, is one of the three churches on Møn decorated by the

, probably towards the end of the 15th century. In the so-called

style, the paintings present many of the most popular stories from the Old and New Testaments. There are also a number of earlier frescos in the church dating back to about 1275.

Example in Scania

, in the south of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

, was a Danish province until 1658. Many of its churches are decorated with frescos, very similar in style to those of Denmark.

Vittskövle Church

The church in Vittskövle, a small village near

Kristianstad Kristianstad ( , ) is a Urban areas in Sweden, city and the seat of Kristianstad Municipality, Scania County, Sweden with 41,198 inhabitants in 2023. Since the 1990s, the city has gone from being a garrison town to a developed commercial city, ...

, has a wide variety of wall paintings dating back to the 15th century. They are contained principally in the cross vaults above the nave. The most notable examples are those of the

Creation Creation or The Creation or Creations, may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Creation'' (1922 film), a British silent drama * ''Creation'' (unfinished film), 1931 * ''Creation'' (2009 film), about Charles Darwin Literature * ''Creation ...

and the

Fall Autumn, also known as fall (especially in US & Canada), is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southern Hemispher ...

. Over the chancel, there is a painting of

St Nicolas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya Province, Turkey) dur ...

. The vaults in St Anne's chapel also have wall paintings. On the eastern side, we see the

four evangelists In Christian tradition, the Four Evangelists are Matthew the Apostle, Matthew, Mark the Evangelist, Mark, Luke the Evangelist, Luke, and John the Evangelist, John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four canonical Gospel accounts ...

while on the western side there are three female saints:

St Barbara Saint Barbara (; ; ; ), known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian Greek saint and martyr. There is no reference to her in the authentic early Christian writings nor in the original recension of Sai ...

St Ursula Ursula (Latin for 'little she-bear') was a Romano-British virgin and martyr possibly of royal origin. She is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion. Her feast day in the pre-1970 G ...

, St Gertrude and

St Catherine St. Catherine or St. Katherine may refer to a number of saints named Catherine, or: Geography Canada *St. Catharines, a city in Ontario * St. Catharines (federal electoral district), federal *St. Catharines (provincial electoral district), ...

Other churches with wall paintings

There are hundreds of Danish churches where wall paintings have been discovered, often in a very poor state. Indeed, in some cases they have been limewashed once again as it was not worthwhile restoring them. On the other hand, many have been uncovered and restored and can be seen today. Listed below are a number of churches, region by region, where wall paintings are of interest.

Zealand

Undløse Church Undløse Church () is located in the village of Undløse some southwest of Holbæk in northern Zealand, Denmark. The original part of the Romanesque church derives from the late 12th century. The church is noted for its early 15th-century fresco ...

south of

Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).Union Master The Union Master (), also Master of Undløse (), is the name given to an anonymous artist active in the first half of the 15th century in Denmark and possibly Sweden, which were both part of the Kalmar Union, hence the name. It has been suggested ...

. The

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions involving the same person or deity returning to another body. The disappearance of a body is anothe ...

scene was included in the

Danish Cultural Canon Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A Danish person, also called a "Dane", can be a national or citizen of Denmark (see Demographics of Denmark) * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, ...

in 2006 as a result of its high artistic quality. * Højby Church, in Odsherred commune in northwestern

is decorated with numerous frescos from around 1400 when the cross vaults were completed. The most impressive are of the Archangel

Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

and of St George and the dragon. Tuse-Kirke Kalkmalerier

Tuse Church Tuse Church is located near Holbæk in northwestern Sealand, Denmark. It dates back to the year 1200. Frescos The church is richly decorated with both romanesque and late gothic murals. It is however the latter which are regarded as possibly the ...

near

Holbæk Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the County seat, seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).Isefjord Ise Fjord () is a deeply branched arm of the sea into the Danish island Zealand. From its relatively narrow entrance from the Kattegat at Hundested and Rørvig, branches of Ise Fjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern part of Zea ...

artists who were most active from 1460 to 1480. The pictures depict stories from the Old and New Testaments but the life of Jesus is particularly interesting as it combines the biblical accounts with images of kings, devils and women brewing beer. *Kirke Hyllinge Church in north-western Zealand between

and Roskilde Fjord has some of the oldest Romanesque murals in Denmark. They date back to about 1125 and are inspired by Byzantine art. Located on the chancel arch, they depict Mary flanked by two apostles. * Reerslev Church lies in the village of Reerslev, adjacent to Høje-Taastrup near

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

. It has a number of interesting late-Gothic frescos depicting the life of Christ. They were painted by artists from the

school. *Vigersted Church near

Ringsted Ringsted is a city located centrally in the Danish island of Zealand. It is the seat of a municipality of the same name. Ringsted is situated approximately from Copenhagen. History Ringsted was the site of ''Sjællands Landsting'' (lit. ''Z ...

is also richly decorated with wall paintings in the vaults and around the doors. Dated at around 1450, they were rediscovered in the 1890s and later restored. *

Nødebo Church Nødebo Church (Danish language, Danish: ''Nødebo Kirke'') is located in Nødebo in the North Zealand, northern part of the Denmark, Danish island of Zealand. It is situated on the south-western shore of Lake Esrum, 5 km north of Hillerød a ...

in the village of Nødebo on the shore of Lake Esrom, Northern Sealand

Lolland, Falster and Møn

In addition to Fanefjord, Keldby and Elmelunde churches on Møn which are widely recognised for their wall paintings by the Elmelunde Master, there are several other churches in the region which have frescos. *

Kippinge Church Kippinge Church () stands alone, midway between Vester Kippinge and Øster Kippinge in northwestern Falster, Denmark. It is west of Redslev wood. Thanks to three reputed miracles, the Early Gothic church attracted many pilgrims until the end of th ...

and the neighbouring

Brarup Church Brarup Church () is located in the village of Brarup some southwest of Nørre Alslev on the Denmark, Danish island of Falster. The Romanesque architecture, Late Romanesque church has frescos from various periods including several by the Brarup Ma ...

in the northwest of

Falster Falster () is an island in south-eastern Denmark with an area of and 43,398 inhabitants as of 1 January 2010.

. Paintings from three periods. *

Nørre Alslev Church Nørre Alslev Church () in the small town of Nørre Alslev in the north of Danish island of Falster dates from at least 1308, a date found on its early frescos. Built in the Early Gothic style and painted pink according to local tradition, it is ...

, northern Falster. Famous painting of the

Dance of Death The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory from the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of death, summoning represen ...

by the Elmelunde Master. * Tågerup Church in the south of

Lolland Lolland (; formerly spelled ''Laaland'', literally "low land") is the List of islands of Denmark#List of 100 largest Danish islands, fourth largest island of Denmark, with an area of . Located in the Kattegat, Belts and Sund area, it is part of Re ...

, richly decorated with murals by the Brarup workshop. * Tingsted Church in central Falster. All the vaults in the nave and choir are richly decorated by the Elmelunde Master. *Tirsted Church, near

Rødby Rødby is a town located on the island of Lolland in south Denmark. It has a population of 1,957 (1 January 2024).Væggerløse Church Væggerløse Church () is a Romanesque church in the village of Væggerløse, south of Nykøbing on the Danish island of Falster. Its early 16th century frescos depict the Supper at Emmaus. History In the Middle Ages the church was dedicated ...

on Falster has frescos (c. 1520) of the

Supper at Emmaus According to the Gospel of Luke, the road to Emmaus appearance is one of the early post-resurrection appearances of Jesus after his crucifixion and the discovery of the empty tomb. Both the meeting on the road to Emmaus and the subsequent supper ...

Bornholm

The island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a List of islands of Denmark, Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. I ...

is famous for its

round church A round church is a church with a completely circular plan, thus a rotunda in architectural terms. There are many Nordic round churches in Sweden and Denmark (notably the island of Bornholm); round churches were popular in Scandinavia in the ...

es. Two of them,

Nylars Nylars is a village in the southwest of the Danish island of Bornholm, 8 km east of Rønne and 8 km west of Aakirkeby. In January 2024 it had a population of 208. It is best known for Nylars Church, the island's second largest round c ...

and

Østerlars Østerlars is a village in the northeast of the Danish island of Bornholm, south of Gudhjem and northwest of Østermarie. It is best known for its round church, the largest on the island. 1. January 2025 it had a population of 254. Etymology T ...

, have huge central pillars with a band of frescos around the top depicting scenes from the

Annunciation The Annunciation (; ; also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord; ) is, according to the Gospel of Luke, the announcement made by the archangel Gabriel to Ma ...

to the

Last Judgment The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...

Læsø

The island of

Læsø Læsø ("Isle of Ægir, Hlér") is the largest island in the North Sea bay of Kattegat, and is located off the northeast coast of the Jutland Peninsula, the Denmark, Danish mainland. Læsø is also the name of the municipality (Danish language, D ...

in the

Kattegat The Kattegat (; ; ) is a sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west, the Danish straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south and the Swedish provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Scania in Swede ...

lies some 19 km to the east of the Jutland peninsula. *Vesterø Church on the island of

is decorated with murals in the vaults of the chancel, dating back to about 1510. They depict the journey of the Three Kings and their arrival with presents before Jesus. They bear the names of

Balthazar Balthazar, Balthasar, Baltasar, or Baltazar may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Balthazar (novel), ''Balthazar'' (novel), by Lawrence Durrell, 1958 * ''Balthasar'', an 1889 book by Anatole France * ''Professor Balthazar'', a Croatian a ...

Melchior Melchior is the name traditionally given to one of the biblical Magi appearing in the Gospel of Matthew. There are many notable people with this name, or close variations. As a first name * Melchior Anderegg (1828–1914), Swiss mountain guide * ...

and Kasper although these names do not appear in the Bible. The paintings were restored in 1982 by the National Museum.

Funen

*Rynkeby Church in the northeast corner of

Funen Funen (, ), is the third-largest List of islands of Denmark, island of Denmark, after Zealand and North Jutlandic Island, Vendsyssel-Thy, with an area of . It is the List of islands by area, 165th-largest island in the world. It is located in th ...

has a series of interesting paintings depicting angels playing a wide variety of musical instruments. They are exceptional in that they were painted after the Reformation. *Søndersø Church in the north of Funen has a number of interesting wall paintings from the beginning of the 16th century, in particular those of the birth of Jesus and of the Virgin Mary.

Northern Jutland

*Sankt Hans Church in

Hjørring Hjørring () is a town on the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Hjørring Municipality in the North Jutland Region. The population is 25,908 (acco ...

, northern Jutland, has one interesting wall painting from about 1350 of St Christopher carrying the baby Jesus. Nibe fresko 4

*Nibe Church, not far from

Aalborg Aalborg or Ålborg ( , , ) is Denmark's List of cities and towns in Denmark, fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an Urban area, urban populati ...

in the north of Jutland, was undergoing restoration work in the 1990s when a number of frescos were revealed. Like those in many other churches they tell the story of

Saint George and the Dragon In a legend, Saint Georgea soldier venerated in Christianity—defeats a dragon. The story goes that the dragon originally extorted tribute from villagers. When they ran out of livestock and trinkets for the dragon, they started giving up a huma ...

but there is also an interesting picture of

John the Apostle John the Apostle (; ; ), also known as Saint John the Beloved and, in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Saint John the Theologian, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Generally listed as the youngest apostle, he ...

with his attribute of the bowl of poison. *Hyllested Church, 10 km north of

Ebeltoft Ebeltoft is an old port town on the central east coast of Denmark with a population of 7,287 (1 January 2025). *Grønbæk Kirke located between

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

and Viborg has some well preserved Romanesque frescos from about 1225. They present paintings of Jesus surrounded by the Virgin Mary, Peter, John and Paul. *Skivholme Church, located some 20 km north-west of

Århus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

, has a collection of frescos from 1500 to 1503 which decorate the vaults above the nave. The artist probably belonged to the so-called Århus School. The paintings were discovered and restored from 1896 to 1899.

Southern Jutland

*Brøns Church, located in

Southern Jutland Southern Jutland (; ) is the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark and north of the Eider (river) in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The region north of the Kongeå is called . Both territories had their own ting assemblies in the Mi ...

, south of

Ribe Ribe () is a town in south-west Jutland, Denmark, with a population of 8,367 (2025). It is the seat of the Diocese of Ribe. Until 1 January 2007, Ribe was the seat of both a surrounding municipality and county. It is now part of the enlarged E ...

, contains two

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

frescos, dating from c. 1530, which are probably Denmark's only examples of church frescos with distinctly Lutheran messages. One shows a heavenly castle under siege. An army led by pope and bishops try to gain access to it by force, while

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

– guarding its

city gate A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway. Uses City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...

– rejects them. Another image shows the pope and a number of bishops presenting a large

papal bull A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it. History Papal ...

, carrying a total of 11 ecclesiastic

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

s but no text. It is unknown whether this has always been the case, but the presence of two fools, one of them holding a pair of

reading glasses A corrective lens is a transmissive optical device that is worn on the eye to improve visual perception. The most common use is to treat refractive errors: myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism, and presbyopia. Glasses or "spectacles" are w ...

, indicates that this is the intention; the Catholic Church is presented as without content. Below, a monk, standing a front of a group of men holding letters of indulgence is confronted by another group of people holding similar letters. This protest scene against the sale of indulgences is inspired by a contemporary woodcarving by

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

artist,

Hans Sebald Beham Sebald Beham (1500–1550) was a German painter and printmaker, mainly known for his very small engravings. Born in Nuremberg, he spent the later part of his career in Frankfurt. He was one of the most important of the "Little Masters", the group ...

, who was staunchly anti-Catholic.

Problems of restoration

While restoration techniques are constantly improving, the frescos are increasingly endangered by the heating systems installed in churches and by other activities such as concerts which now take place in the churches. Unless alternative solutions are found, the only secure way to preserve the paintings would be to cover them with limewash once again.Introduction to Danish wall paintings - Conservation ethics and methods of treatment from the National Museum of Denmark
. Retrieved 12 August 2009.

Notes

External links

National Museum of Denmark's searchable database of kalkmaleri images.

Bibliography

* C. R. Dodwell: ''The Pictorial arts of the West, 800-1200'', 1993, Yale UP, . * Annett Scavenius: ''Elmelundemesteren i Fanefjord Kirke'', Forlaget Vandkunsten, 2010, 121 pages. .

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Church Frescos in Denmark Danish art Churches in Denmark Gothic art Gothic paintings

Historical background

Romanesque period

Gothic period

Post-Reformation

Notable examples of wall paintings

Aarhus Cathedral

Sulsted Church

Fanefjord Church

Keldby Church

Example in Scania

Vittskövle Church

Other churches with wall paintings

Zealand

Lolland, Falster and Møn

Bornholm

Læsø

Funen

Northern Jutland

Southern Jutland

Problems of restoration

See also

Notes

External links

Bibliography

External links