Newsletter
December 2011


 












EUROPE MEETS THE WORLD
GUIDED TOUR AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
SUNDAY JANUARY 22ND, 2012

Join us for a guided tour of the new temporary exhibition at the National Museum!
"Europe meets the World" depicts the interaction - good and bad - between Europe and the rest of the World.

Buy your tickets here
Tickets are kr. 70 for 1 hour guided tour and a glass of sparkling wine afterwards.
Max. 25 people can join us for this event.

In the name of the Lord
"In nomine domini" (in the name of the Lord) is the inscription on the blade of a sword that is one of the items exhibited. The sword was probably made to be used in the Crusades and is a very good illustration of how,
for many centuries, Europeans met the surrounding world - not only during the Crusades, but also in the times that followed.
The major voyages of discovery from Portugal and Spain in particular put the world at Europe's feet. When they encountered new, foreign cultures in South America, for example, the Europeans' unshakeable religious faith,
mixed with their deep cynicism and lack of respect for the native Indians and their culture, enabled them to conquer and subject the rich kingdoms.

New knowledge and bustling trade
"Europe meets the World" is not just about history and war, conflict and suppression. The meeting with foreign cultures brought with it new knowledge and bustling trade. The exhibition begins with ancient Greece, which became Europe's gateway to the civilisations of the Middle East. At the outset, the interaction was mainly from east to west: for example, the Greeks' adoption of the Phoenician alphabet.
From ancient Greece, the exhibition moves on to the Roman Empire, which was the dominant power in Europe in the centuries after Christ's birth. Although the various peoples and cultures of the Roman provinces had to swear allegiance to the Emperor, local customs and traditions were not suppressed, which helped to stimulate the entire continent's cultural development. The first centuries after Christ's birth saw a major expansion of trade and a burgeoning globalisation process. People traded with each other throughout the Roman Empire. Moreover, ceramics and other Roman goods were carried to far more distant lands. From the Orient, caravans brought costly treasures such as spices and silks back to Europe. The exhibition leads the visitor towards contemporary Europe, the result of the continent's history and its encounters with the rest of the world.

The National Museum's own exhibits - including Heinrich Himmler's eye patch
Despite its international approach, the exhibition is based solely on the National Museum's own artefacts. These include the aforementioned sword, which was found at Søborg Castle, the seat of Danish archbishops. The Crusader
sword is a symbol of how Denmark is part of a continent that is changing constantly, ceaselessly influenced by the world around us.
The eye patch used by Heinrich Himmler to conceal his true identity after Germany's defeat in the Second World War is one of the items exhibited. "Europe meets the World" reveals why this particular item is part of the National Museum's collection.
 
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HIGH PRICES AND MUSEUM PURCHASES

Jesper Bruun Rasmussen got Christmas off to a good start by celebrating his 50 years in the auctioneering business - and did so with a two-week long anniversary auction in the auction room at Bredgade in Copenhagen. Some 1,500 catalogue numbers went under the old ivory gavel, producing an array of particularly great hammer prices and a substantial number of museum acquisitions.
 
Denmark's most expensive book
The party got underway on Monday 28 November with the hammer falling on the auction's absolute high jumper - a rare first edition of Tycho Brahe's work on the discovery of a new star "De Nova Stella" from 1573, which was sold to a foreign buyer for a record hammer price of DKK 4.1 million (estimated price DKK 300,000-400,000), making it the most expensive book ever sold in Denmark.
 
C.W. Eckersberg went to "The Met"
Another surprising hammer price was fetched by C.W. Eckersberg's prospect from Rome, as the bidding war did not
stop until it reached DKK 3.4 million. Victory was had by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the spectacular painting will now be making its way across the Atlantic to Manhattan, where it will become part of the museum's Danish Golden Age collection. The museum also purchased one of H.C. Andersens paper cuts, a watercolour by Martinus Rørbye and a drawing by Vilhelm Hammershøi.
 
Modern art
The anniversary auction offered a wide selection of modern Danish and international art, and there was no shortage of bids here either. Vilhelm Lundstrøm's characteristic still life from 1828/29 was sold for DKK 750,000, and in the newer department, Walasse Ting's green motif "I am Snow White. P.S. She is my lover" went for DKK 475,000. There was also fierce competition for Kurt Trampedach's striking painting "Walking man", for which the happy buyer had to part with DKK 230,000.
 
Danish design classics
The anniversary auction came to a close with modern furniture and design, topping a total hammer price of DKK 6.8 million. A rare games table with matching chairs by Kaare Klint fetched the evening's highest price of DKK 260,000.
Hans J. Wegner was also in sharp focus this evening, achieving great hammer prices - among other things on a desk, which sold for DKK 155,000. Two large chandeliers designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen for the embassy in Washington were sold for DKK 130,000 and 120,000 respectively.

Bruun-Rasmussen
 
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CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA
/ I PAGLIACCI
AT THE OPERAHOUSE

Pietro Mascagni / Ruggero Leoncavallo
Pure Italian passion in a double-ticket performance.

The Operahouse, main stage

Show dates
12. Dec. - 04. Feb. 2012

Price
95kr - 1250kr

Tempers flare under the blazing sun of Southern Italy in two popular operas dealing with hypocrisy and murder. Both are musically and dramatically in tune with Puccini's Tosca and La bohème and feature such operatic
highlights as the 'Easter Hymn' in Cavalleria rusticana and the tenor aria in Pagliacci.

One of the world's leading and highly sought-after opera stars, tenor José Cura, will appear in the first four performances of both operas.

Critically acclaimed designer Mia Stensgaard has creates the captivating sets that invite audiences on a journey to hot-blooded Sicily and its world of seduction and jealousy.

Read more, buy and print tickets
 
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CHRISTMAS IN NYHAVN

The spirit of Christmas comes to Nyhavn - come and enjoy the pretty decorations, Christmas booths and lots of lovely Christmas gift ideas along with festive entertainment with music and Christmas elves.

The old night watchman visits Nyhavn most nights and sings and tells funny stories about the old harbour. "Nissedrys" visits as well. "Nissedrys" is Mrs. Santa and her daughter Kanelia, telling adventures and entertaining all along the harbour.

Nyhavn all covered in Christmas decorations is an impressive element in town. Here you can enjoy delicious Christmas food and find the real Danish "hygge" in one - or more - of the 25 restaurants and cafés.

The Christmas market is open every day, Sundays too until dec. 22.
 
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VERY SPECIAL CLOTHES IN THE LATIN QUARTER

Project 4 is a clothing store offering exciting accessories, limited brands and focus on quality and individuality. Drop by to discover exciting products and brands in one of Copenhagen's oldest neighborhoods - The Latin Quarter - Larsbjørnsstræde 19 - Copenhagen K.

Find accessories, clothing, shoes, bags, purses, handbags, makeup, jeans, etc.

Project 4 is home to brands such as Danish eco-label A Question Of..., Danish NUNC, and the raw mark JNXD, Pendulum accessories among other Danish fashion designers. And always the new collection from Swedish fashion
brand 5preview.

Project 4 also features sought-after brands from Los Angeles - Wild Fox, Blood is the New Black and Forrest & Bob. Focus is on clothes with attitude and significance, either unique design, or organic clothing & fair trade, or clothes you will not easily find anywhere else and for the most part only a few pieces of each style. You can find a nice gift from Scandinavian designers or you may be lucky to find some unique pieces of clothing or accessories which are not found elsewhere ...
Focus is on a classic comfortable environment, with a twist of raw expression and a pleasant atmosphere and good service.

Visit Project4 on Facebook as well.
 
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