About Willumsen's Museum
Willumsens Museum is a museum for the Danish multi-artist Jens Ferdinand Willumsen's (1863-1958) transgressive, grandiose, sometimes bizarre and extreme figurative art as well as his own art and picture collections. Outside of category and with his own thoroughly individualistic and conceptual approach, Willumsen created art that at the same time drew on the excesses of Mannerism and the image flow of popular culture. Many of his major works stand today as significant contributions to Nordic modernism, but much has also been rejected and is only being rediscovered in recent years.
Through innovative exhibitions, research-based publications, seminars and workshops, and a broad-based program for the public, the museum aims to present, update, and put Willumsen's art into perspective.
The museum creates two annual special exhibitions that are in the nature of dialogue exhibitions, thematic exhibitions or group exhibitions. Often, the artists – Danish as well as foreign – like JF Willumsen have gone their own way and found themselves far from the norms of the time. The museum thereby contributes to giving the geographically peripheral, the stylistically inappropriate and the periodically deviant a place in art history.
Contact
We would love to hear from you! Whether you have questions, comments or would like to collaborate, you are always welcome to contact us. You can reach us in the following ways:
Telephone: 47 31 07 73
Volunteer at Willumsens Museum
At Willumsens Museum, there is a very special atmosphere that our guests experience. This can be attributed both to our front-line staff who welcome the guests, and to our volunteer staff who meet them in the halls.
If you have stopped working or otherwise have a flexible everyday life and you have the time and desire to be part of our community at Willumsens Museum, we could use your help.
Mission
Willumsens Museum in Frederikssund, north of Copenhagen, is a museum for the Danish multi-artist Jens Ferdinand Willumsen's (1863-1958) transgressive, grandiose, sometimes bizarre and extreme figurative art, as well as his own art and picture collections. Outside of category and with his own thoroughly individualistic and conceptual approach, Willumsen created art that at the same time drew on the excesses of Mannerism and the image flow of popular culture. Many of his major works stand today as significant contributions to Nordic modernism, but much has also been rejected and is only being rediscovered in recent years.
Willumsens Museum creates art exhibitions, events and activities in the spirit of JF Willumsen. Through innovative exhibitions, research-based publications, seminars, workshops, teaching and a broad-based program for the public, the museum aims to present, update and put Willumsens' art, his creative work and private art collection into perspective for today's citizens.
Vision: Willumsens Museum creates world-class art experiences
WILLUMSEN'S MUSEUM shows world-class art and art that reflects the world – opens the door to the world of art, and forms the framework for a world of experiences. Willumsens Museum makes world art part of Frederikssund's DNA and strengthens Frederikssund's format and attraction value.
The history of the museum
Willumsen's Museum, run by Frederikssund Municipality with support from the state and Frederikssund Municipality, was opened in 1957 in a building designed for the purpose by architect Tyge Hvass. Willumsen donated his entire collection of his own works, his art collection, "Gamle Samling", and his large archive of photographs, books, letters, diaries, notes and records to the museum. This means that the museum has very extensive documentary material to illustrate his works.
Since the museum opened, many of Willumsen's works have been continuously acquired to expand and supplement the existing collection. The museum currently houses almost 5.000 works by JF Willumsen and around 2.000 works from the Old Collection.
The extension
In 2005, Willumsens Museum reopened with an extension, which expanded the museum to almost triple its size. Professor, architect MAA Theo Bjerg (1936-2019) designed the new wing, which with its beautiful expression forms a varied frame around the works of art. The original wing from 1957 is approx. 700 m2, while the new wing is approx. 1.300 m2. The construction cost around 40 million DKK, and the financing was provided with funds from 25 different foundations, the State and Frederikssund Municipality.
JF Willumsen and Frederikssund
JF Willumsen himself had no close connection to Frederikssund, but his father's family came from the area. As a child, Willumsen's grandfather lived at the inn "Bi-lidt", which was located not far from the museum. As early as the 1920s, Willumsen began working on plans to establish a museum in Copenhagen, and in the following decades he fought unsuccessfully for his plans. The idea of locating the museum in Frederikssund is first mentioned in a gift deed from 1943. And when the State and the Municipality of Copenhagen did not want to build the museum, Frederikssund was given the chance. The location drew headlines such as "Frederikssund: New Nordic Cultural City" and "Frederikssund took on the task that Copenhagen could not handle."
The 93-year-old Willumsen was not present at the inauguration in April 1957. He never got to see the museum as he lived in the south of France and was too ill to make the trip to Denmark.
Core values and annual reports
SENSUALITY: Willumsens Museum emphasizes the sensory and aesthetic experience.
WORLD CLASS: Commitment, professionalism, quality and a high level of ambition are core values for the museum's approach to its core tasks, the museum's users and external partners.
WILDLIFE: The unconventional, norm-breaking and uncompromising nature that characterizes Willumsen's art and work process are values that the museum reflects in exhibitions and activities.
LOCAL ANCHORAGE: The museum thinks globally but is rooted locally.
