''Taarnet'' ( Danish: ''The Tower'') was a monthly art and literary magazine founded and edited by

Johannes Jørgensen Jens Johannes Jørgensen (6 November 1866, in Svendborg – 29 May 1956) was a Danish writer, best known for his biographies of Catholic saints. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times. Early days Johannes Jørgensen was ...

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 ...

, Denmark. It was subtitled as Illustreret Tidsskrift for Kunst og Litteratur (Danish: Illustrated Magazine for Arts and Literature). The magazine was one of the early avant-garde publications and the major representative of

symbolism Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

in Denmark. It existed for one year between 1893 and 1894.

History and profile

''Taarnet'' was founded in 1893 by Johannes Jørgensen who formulated his symbolism approach in the publication. The title of the magazine was a reference to both the poetic meaning of tower and the tower in Jørgensen's apartment 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 ...

, Copenhagen. In his

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...

Jørgensen stated that ''Taarnet'' was established in the name of

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

Charles Baudelaire Charles Pierre Baudelaire (, ; ; 9 April 1821 – 31 August 1867) was a French poet, essayist, translator and art critic. His poems are described as exhibiting mastery of rhythm and rhyme, containing an exoticism inherited from the Romantics ...

and

Paul Verlaine Paul-Marie Verlaine ( ; ; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolism (movement), Symbolist movement and the Decadent movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the ''fin de siècle'' ...

. The first issue appeared in October 1893. The magazine which was published on a monthly basis featured articles on Danish and international

symbolist literature Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

and

visual art The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and texti ...

. As stated above Jørgensen described his own version of symbolism in ''Taarnet'' and argued "all genuine art is and becomes symbolic." Furthermore, in the magazine Jørgensen replied the critics of his manifesto that he had published in another Danish magazine, ''

Tilskueren ''Tilskueren'' (Danish language, Danish: ''The Spectator'') was a monthly cultural and literary magazine published in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 1884 and 1939. It was continuation of another magazine, ''Det nittende Aarhundrede'' (Danish: ''the ...

''. The mission of ''Taarnet'' was to provide a connection between French and Danish symbolism, and nearly twenty percent of all articles published in the magazine were translations of

French symbolists Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

. In his articles Jørgensen also supported more

mystical Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight ...

and spiritual ways of life. Another notable contributor of the monthly was

Sophus Claussen Sophus Claussen (12 September 1865 Helletofte – 11 April 1931 Gentofte) was a Danish writer. He is best remembered for his neo-romanticism poems. Biography Born in 1865, Claussen was the son of politician Rasmus Claussen and Hanne Sophie (). ...

. Danish writer

Viggo Stuckenberg Viggo Henrik Fog Stuckenberg (17 September 1863 – 6 December 1905) was a Danish poet, notable for his lyrical and emotional poems. His work varied from faithful representation of nature in his early career to Expressionism and Realism. He be ...

published the first scene of his play ''Den vilde Jæger'' in the magazine which also featured early drawings by

Svend Hammershøi Svend Hammershøi (10 August 1873 – 27 February 1948) was a Danish painter and ceramist.Sigurd Schultz: He is remembered principally for the classical pottery designs he contributed to the Royal Copenhagen (''Kongelige Porcelainsfabrik'') and to ...

. Other major Danish writers associated with the magazine were

Sophus Michaëlis Sophus Michaëlis (1865–1932) was a Danish poet, novelist and playwright. His works were translated, published, and performed in England, France, Germany, and Sweden during his lifetime, in addition to his native Denmark. Personal life So ...

Mogens Ballin Mogens Ballin (20 March 1871, Copenhagen – 27 January 1914, Hellerup) was a Danish artist, one of a group of painters who gathered in the Breton village of Pont-Aven. He later became a notable silversmith designing jewelry and lamps.

and Jens Ferdinand Willumsen. ''Taarnet'' folded in September 1894 after producing nine issues.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taarnet 1893 establishments in Denmark 1994 disestablishments in Denmark Danish-language magazines Defunct literary magazines published in Europe Defunct magazines published in Denmark Literary magazines published in Denmark Magazines established in 1880 Magazines disestablished in 1924 Magazines published in Copenhagen Monthly magazines published in Denmark Symbolism (arts) Visual arts magazines