The Thorvaldsen Medal (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 the visual arts. It is named after the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
The medal was founded in 1837 as the Exhibition Medal and awarded for talented works in the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in the Charlottenborg Palace. In 1866, it was renamed the Thorvaldsen Exhibition Medal (), and from 1923 it has been known under its current name.
Medal design The medal is executed in silver and designed by the sculptor Christen Christensen (1806–1845) in connection with Thorvaldsen's homecoming from Rome in 1838.
Recipients Exhibition Medal recipients
YearLaureateWinning workRef(s) 1839 Martinus Rørbye A Turkish notary drawing up a marriage contract in front of the Kiliç Ali Pasha Mosque, Tophane, Constantinople 1841 Wilhelm Marstrand Scene of the October celebrations in Rome (Scene af oktoberfesten i Rom) 1842 Bertel Thorvaldsen Honorary medal 1843 Johan Vilhelm Gertner Stiftsprovst Trydes Portræt Source1845 P. C. Skovgaard Scene from Tisvilde Woods (Parti ved Udkanten af Tisvilde Skov) View of Skarrit Lake (Udsigt over Skarrit Sø) 1846 Anton Melbye Eddystone Lighthouse (Eddystone Fyrtaarn) 1847 Jens Adolf Jerichau 1849 Godtfred Rump Scene from Himmelbjerget (Parti fra Himmelbjerget) 1853 Julius Exner Visiting Grandfather ("Besøget gos bedstefar") 1858 Elisabeth Jerichau Baumann 1860 Frederik Vermehren Huslig Syssel i en fattig Bondestue; en Kone bælger Ærter 1860 William Hammer Grain and fruits under an apple tree ("Korn og Fruget under et Æbletræ") Source 1860 Theobald Stein Neapolitan fishing boy, carrying a pitcher("Neapolitansk Fiskerdreng, bærende en Vandkrukke") 1861 Christen Dalsgaard (En Kones højtidelige Kirkegang efter Barselfærd)1864 Carl Bloch En romersk gadebarber
Thorvaldsen Exhibition Medal recipients YearLaureateWinning workRef(s) 1867 Carl Neumann Skibe under land efter en byge 1871 Janus la Cour Aften ved Nemisøen 1872 Otto Bache Portrait group of the Ræder family (Portrætgruppe af Familien Ræder) 1882 Vilhelm Rosenstand Outside a Brasserie in Paris. Mother and Son at Café Pousse (Udenfor et Brasserie i Paris. Moder og Søn ved Pousse-Caféen) 1882 Peder Severin Krøyer ? 1882 Frants Henningsen A Funeral (En Begravelse) 1883 Thorvald Niss Winter Scene from Folehaven 1883 Bertha Wegmann Portrait of the Artist's Sister (Portræt af kunstnerindens søster) 1884 August Jerndorff 1884 Christian Zacho Quiet waters in Dyrehaven (Et stille Vand i Dyrehaven) Source 1886 Viggo Johansen Evening talk (Aftenpassiar ) 1887 Otto Haslund Concerto (Koncert) Source 1887 Hans Michael Therkildsen Køerne vandes 1888 Carl Thomsen Middag i en Præstegaard efter en Bispevisitats 1890 Georg Achen Johanne Achen. The Artist's Mother (Johanne Achen, kunstnerens Moder) 1893 Julius Paulsen Portrait of a Lady 1896 Michael Ancher ? 1899 Ludvig Brandstrup Christian IX statue, Esbjerg 1901 Knud Larsen 1906 L. A. Ring ? 1907 Bertha Dorph Et besøg hos den unge barselskone 1913 Ejnar Nielsen ? 1915 Theodor Philipsen ? 1918 Herman Vedel Fra forhandlingerne om grundloven 5. juni 1915 Wilhelm Tetens Portrait of P.T. Foldberg- 1923 Joakim Skovgaard Jomfru i Fugleham
Thorvaldsen Medal recipients Year Recipient Field 1926 Karl Jensen Painter 1927 Fritz Syberg Painter 1930 Carl J. Bonnesen Sculptor 1932 Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen Sculptor 1933 Niels Larsen Stevns Painter 1934 Johan Rohde Painter 1936 Niels Hansen Jacobsen Sculptor 1937 Niels SkovgaardGerhard Henning SculptorSculptor 1940 Sigurd SwaneMogens Bøggild PainterSculptor 1941 Johannes LarsenAksel Jørgensen PainterPainter 1942 Olaf Rude Painter 1943 Oluf Høst Painter 1944 Einar Utzon-FrankJohannes C. BjergHans KnudsenSvend Hammershøi SculptorSculptorPainterPainter 1946 Jens SøndergaardAxel P. Jensen PainterPainter 1948 Rasmus HarboeJais Nielsen SculptorPainter 1950 Jean GauguinAdam Fischer SculptorSculptor 1951 Ebba Carstensen Painter 1952 Elof RisebyeOle Søndergaard PainterArchitect 1954 Astrid Noack Sculptor 1956 Laura Brun-Pedersen Painter 1957 William Scharff Painter 1960 Henrik Starcke Sculptor 1961 Erik Hoppe Painter 1963 Carl-Henning PedersenPalle NielsenAxel Poulsen PainterPainterSculptor 1964 Georg Jacobsen Painter 1965 Niels LergaardJørgen Gudmundsen-Holmgreen PainterSculptor 1966 Harald LethSvend Johansen PainterPainter 1967 Henry HeerupLauritz HartzRobert Jacobsen PainterPainterSculptor 1968 Richard MortensenPovl ChristensenKnud Nellemose PainterPainterSculptor 1969 Ejler BillePaul Gadegaard PainterPainter 1970 Wilhelm Freddie Painter 1971 Knud AggerPeter Alsing NielsenSonja Ferlov Mancoba PainterPainterSculptor 1972 Søren Hjorth NielsenErik Thommesen PainterSculptor 1973 Karl BovinElse AlfeltWilly Ørskov PainterPainterSculptor 1974 Søren Georg Jensen Painter 1975 Gunnar Westman Sculptor 1976 Anna Klindt SørensenGottfred Eickhoff PainterSculptor 1977 Franciska ClausenBent Sørensen PainterSculptor 1978 Sven DalsgaardOle SchwalbeOle Kielberg PainterPainterPainter 1979 Jørgen Haugen SørensenDan Sterup-Hansen SculptorPainter 1980 Gunnar Aagaard Andersen Painter 1983 Kasper Heiberg Painter 1984 Arne Haugen SørensenMogens AndersenJane Muus PainterPainterPainter 1985 Ib Braase Sculptor 1986 Frede ChristoffersenElse Fischer-HansenRasmus Nellemann PainterPainterPainter 1987 Per Kirkeby Painter 1988 Albert Mertz Painter 1989 Jørn Larsen Painter 1990 Christian Daugaard Painter 1991 Ib Geertsen Painter 1982 Hein HeinsenEgon Fischer SculptorSculptor 1994 Mogens Møller Sculptor 1995 Sven Havsteen-Mikkelsen Painter 1996 Bjørn Nørgaard Sculptor 1997 John OlsenRichard Winther PainterPainter 1998 Stig Brøgger Painter 1999 Torben EbbesenJørgen Boberg SculptorPainter 2000 Thomas BangKirsten LockenwitzIngálvur av Reyni SculptorSculptorPainter 2001 Ole Sporring Painter 2002 Kirsten Ortwed Sculptor 2003 Ingvar Cronhammar Sculptor 2004 Troels Wörsel Painter 2005 Kirsten JustesenJytte Rex SculptorPainter 2006 Jørgen Rømer Painter 2008 Erik Hagens Painter 2009 Christian Lemmerz Sculptor 2010 Morten StrædeElisabeth Toubro SculptorSculptor 2011 Eva KochFreddie A. Lerche SculptorPainter 2012 Kirsten Klein Photographer 2013 Olafur EliassonKirsten Dehlholm PainterPainter 2014 Martin Erik Andersen Sculptor 2015 Per Bak JensenViera Collaro PhotographerSculptor 2016 Erik August FrandsenJytte Høy Visual artist Painter Visual artist 2017 Finn Reinbothe Visual artist 2018 Lone Høyer Hansen Sculptor 2019 Eric Andersen Visual artist 2020 Poul Pedersen Visual artist
See also Art of Denmark C. F. Hansen Medal Eckersberg Medal List of European art awards Prizes named after people
References
External links Full listing of Thorvaldsen Medal winners from Akademiraadet