Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint (21 June 1853 – 1 December 1930) was a Danish

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

, designer,

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

and architectural theorist, best known for designing Grundtvig's Church in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, generally considered to be one of the most important Danish architectural works of the time. Its Expressionist style relies heavily on Scandinavian brick Gothic traditions. Jensen-Klint was the father of fellow architect

Kaare Klint Kaare Klint (15 December 1888 – 28 March 1954) was a Danish architect and furniture designer, known as the father of modern Danish furniture design. His style was epitomized by clean, pure lines, use of the best materials of his time and ...

who assumed responsibility for completing work on Grundtvig's Church after his father's death in 1930.

Early life and career

Peder Vilhelm Jensen-Klint was born in 1853 as Peder Vilhelm Jensen but changed his name on 10 November 1890. He was admitted to the College of Advanced Technology in 1870 and graduated as a building engineer in 1877. One of his teachers was

Johan Daniel Herholdt Johan Daniel Herholdt (13 August 1818 – 11 April 1902) was a Danish architect, professor and royal building inspector. He worked in the Historicist style and had a significant influence on Danish architecture during the second half of the 19th ...

—who with his Copenhagen University Library started a trend with the use of red bricks for landmark buildings in

Danish architecture The architecture of Denmark has its origins in the Viking Age, revealed by archaeological finds. It was established in the Middle Ages when first Romanesque architecture, Romanesque, then Gothic architecture, Gothic churches and cathedrals, wer ...

—and he greatly influenced Jensen-Klint's understanding of materials and knowledge of early Danish architectural traditions. In May 1878, Jensen-Klint was admitted to 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 ...

School of Painting where he took all the classes but never graduated. He wanted to pursue a career as an artist but had to teach mathematics to make a living. In the end he had to give up his aspirations to live as an artist and from 1889 to 1897 he worked as an assistant for the City Engineer in Copenhagen and from 1892 to 1916 he also gave drawing classes at the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University. In 1891 he travelled in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

and in 1910 he visited

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

Breakthrough as an architect

Jensen-Klint became increasingly interested in architecture and his first architectural work was a villa in

Hellerup Hellerup () is a very affluent district of Gentofte Municipality in the suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. The most urban part of the district is centred on Strandvejen and is bordered by Østerbro to the south and the Øresund to the east. It compr ...

designed for a good friend, the goldsmith W. Holm, after a small private competition also involving the architect Eugen Jørgensen. After that followed several more villas in the same area which all demonstrate various experiments with masonry in red brick. Following completion of the Gym House in

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 ...

, he was admitted into the Architects' Association of Denmark in spite of his lack of formal training. His principal inspiration came from Danish manor houses, churches and stout, simple

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

houses. In 1907 he designed a house for the Danish composer Thorvald Aagaard in Ryslinge on the island 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 ...

and subsequently another house in Svendborg.

Fine and decorative arts

Painting and sculptural work

As a painter, Jensen-Klint first concentrated on landscape painting until Carl Bloch replaced Jørgen Toed as professor at the Academy. After he gave up his artistic career, he still painted occasionally but also started to show an interest in sculptural work. He participated in the competition for a new fountain for Amagertorv in Copenhagen which led to the Stork Fountain with an entry depicting a merry Amager peasant sitting on a cabbagehead (1890).

Ceramics

With inspiration from Joakim Skovgaard he also began working with ceramics and eventually other decorative works such as gravestones, bookbindings and particularly furniture.

Selected buildings

* Villa for W. Holm (Sofievej 27),

(1896) * Gym House (Vodroffsvej 49-51),

(1898) * Bien tramway waiting room, Trianglen, Copenhagen (1904–07) * Villa Rødsten (Onsgårdsvej 12),

(1905–06) * Aagaard's House, Ryslinge,

(1907–08) * Bentzon's House, Svendborg,

(1908) * Anna Church,

Nørrebro Nørrebro (, ) is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate (''Nørreport''), which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current N ...

, Copenhagen (1911, construction 1913–14, 1921, 1924–28) * Gedser Church,

Gedser Gedser is a town at the southern tip of the Denmark, Danish island of Falster in the Guldborgsund Municipality in Region Sjælland, Sjælland region. It is the Extreme points of Denmark, southernmost town in Denmark, and also the southernmost poin ...

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

(1913–15) * Grundtvig's Church, Bispebjerg, Copenhagen (1913, construction 1921–40) * Villa (Høyrups Allé 35),

(1915) * Villa (Gardes Allé 36),

(1915–20) * Klintegården, Nyrup Strand (1916–17) * St. Hans Tveje' Church,

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

(1916–20) * '' On the Hill'' housing, Bispebjerg, Copenhagen (1924–26) * Bethlehem Church, Copenhagen (with

, 1930)

Gallery

Image:Gedser Church.jpg, Gedser Church,

, Denmark Image:Gedser Church - interior.jpg, Gedser Church File:Fredodense(01).JPG, Peace Church, Odense File:09-07-29-i6-Grundtvigs kirken (København).jpg, Grundtvig's Church Image:Grundtvig's Church - surroundings.jpg, Houses surrounding Grundtvig's Church File:Bethlehemskirken Copenhagen interior.jpg, Bethlehem Church, Copenhagen

References

External links

Biography
(Danish)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen-Klint, Peder Vilhelm 1853 births 1930 deaths Danish architects Expressionist architects Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts alumni Recipients of the C.F. Hansen Medal