Arne Jacobsen: Designing Denmark

An exploration of the world of Arne Jacobsen, one of the twentieth century’s most influential architects and designers​

The Danish architect Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) is renowned both within and outside Denmark’s borders. Celebrated for his iconic chairs, Jacobsen was also an avid photographer and painter who was involved in the art world, where he found inspiration and new methods for developing architecture. This is the most comprehensive account of Jacobsen to date, diving into previously unknown aspects of his life and work. It uncovers how art played a seminal role in both his professional and personal life, placing him in the midst of the European postwar avant-garde art scene. Shedding new light on aspects of his creative life, the book challenges previous ideas about Jacobsen as a modernist iconoclast, positioning him instead as a creative innovator who worked closely with materials in transforming existing aesthetics. It also investigates how Jacobsen played a crucial role in defining Danish and Nordic welfare aesthetics. Beautifully designed, the book features famous and lesser-known works by Jacobsen, including chairs, textile designs, watercolour drawings, light fixtures, and architecture models, along with hundreds of previously unseen private photographs of Jacobsen and his many designs.

Katrine Stenum Poulsen is curator at Trapholt, Denmark. Annika Skaarup Larsen is art historian and registrar at Arne Jacobsen Design I/S. Nan Dahlkild is associate professor at the Department of Communication, University of Copenhagen.