Biography

As a child growing up in Copenhagen, it’s said that Arne Jacobsen painted over the Victorian wallpaper in his bedroom. Young Arne didn’t cover his walls with typical childish drawings or paint the ornate wallpaper boyish blue – he decided to paint his room entirely white. This decision may seem typical today, but in the early twentieth century white walls were not yet in fashion. From the very beginning, Arne Jacobsen was ahead of his time. For more than half of the twentieth century, Arne Jacobsen’s ideas shaped the landscape of Danish design, rippling out from Scandinavia to influence architects and designers around the world. He managed to direct projects ranging from complex buildings like Danmarks NationalBank to detailed challenges as humble as a special teaspoon for his cutlery set, working with a relatively small studio staff driven by an unquenchable need to create. Jacobsen’s creative process centered on his strict consideration of detail. He brought his visions to life for patrons and builders with scrupulous, hand-painted watercolours. In any given year, Jacobsen managed to design what others might be happy to produce in five.