Paul Preben Gadegaard (17 November 1920 – 4 March 1992) was a Danish painter and sculptor. He developed an Abstract geometrical style in his painting but is best remembered for decorating factories in

Herning Herning () is a Denmark, Danish town in the Central Denmark Region of the Jutland peninsula. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Herning Municipality. Herning has a population of 51,782 (1 January 2025)

Frederiksberg Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the region of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of less tha ...

, Gadegaard studied painting at the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () 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 Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

from 1940 to 1946 under Sigurd Wandel, Kræsten Iversen,

Aksel Jørgensen Aksel Jørgensen (3 February 1883 – 9 June 1957) was a Denmark, Danish painter and Wood engraving, wood engraver. He is also remembered for his years as the director and professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Royal Danish Academy wh ...

and

Vilhelm Lundstrøm Vilhelm Lundstrøm (26 May 1893 – 9 May 1950) was a Danish modernist painter. He was a central figure in early Danish experimental art and introduced French cubism to Denmark. Biography Vilhelm Henry Lundstrøm was born in Copenhagen, Den ...

. Forced to leave Denmark during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he also studied at the

Royal Swedish Academy of Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...

under

Otte Sköld Joseph Adolf Johannes Sköld (14 July 1894 – 7 November 1958), commonly known as Otte Sköld, was a Swedish painter, mosaicist, scenographer, draftsman, graphic artist, and teacher. He taught at the Académie Moderne and Académie Scandinav ...

(1944–1945). He completed his studies in Paris under

André Lhote André Lhote (5 July 1885 – 24 January 1962) was a French Cubist painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes, and still life. He was also active and influential as a teacher and writer on art. Early life and education Lhote was bor ...

. Gadegaard's early paintings were Naturalistic but from the end of the 1940s became Abstract, influenced by the Constructivist trend he encountered in Paris. In 1949, he joined the Linien II artists association where he exhibited until 1952. After the 1960s, his paintings became lighter in colour, initiating a style which became increasingly common in Denmark over the following years. In 1952, he began an association with Aage Damgaard who had a shirt factory in

. He decorated the factory canteen the following year and from 1957 to 1961, he comprehensively painted the inner walls of the Angli factory, becoming a pioneer of industrial art. His work covered an area of over , while he added appropriate furniture and appurtenances to complete the decorative effect. He painted the walls and ceilings in bright colours as well as the tables and shelves. While the factory no longer exists, many of Gadegaarde's paintings with their large angular shapes and bright colours can still be seen in the

Herning Art Museum Heart: Herning Museum of Contemporary Art, formerly Herning Kunstmuseum, was founded in Herning, Denmark, in 1976. It opened in 1977 in Angligården, an old shirt factory designed by C. F. Møller. In 2009, it reopened in new premises designed by ...

. In 1977, Gadegaarde embarked on the decoration of Herning's Angligården which he completed in 1882. Gadegaarde's work is Herning is considered to represent an important development in the recent history of Danish art. A large collection of Gadegaarde's work can be seen in the

Awards

In 1970, Gadegaard was awarded the

Eckersberg Medal The Eckersberg Medal (originally the ''Akademiets Aarsmedaille'' or Annual Academy Medal) is an annual award of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. It is named after Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg, known as the father of Danish painting. The ...

and, in 1982, the

Thorvaldsen Medal The Thorvaldsen Medal (Danish language, Danish: Thorvaldsens Medalje, Thorvaldsen Medaillen) is awarded annually with few exceptions to a varying number of recipients by the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and is its highest distinction within th ...

References

Literature

External links

Illustrated list of Paul Gadegaarde's works in Danish museums from Kunstindeks Danmark
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gadegaard, Paul 1920 births 1996 deaths 20th-century Danish painters Sculptors from Copenhagen Painters from Copenhagen Recipients of the Thorvaldsen Medal Recipients of the Eckersberg Medal Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni 20th-century Danish sculptors Danish male sculptors Artists from Frederiksberg 20th-century Danish male artists Danish male painters