Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

Founded in 1882 by Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of the Carlsberg Brewery, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek was established to house his vast private collection of art. Jacobsen was a passionate collector who believed that art should be accessible to everyone to enrich their lives. The museum's name, 'Glyptotek', comes from the Greek word 'glyptos', meaning carving, and 'theke', meaning a place for storage, reflecting its primary focus on sculpture from the ancient Mediterranean civilizations. The architectural history of the museum is as significant as the art it contains. The building is composed of two main wings: the original 1897 Dahlerup building, which exudes a historicist style with its ornate brickwork, and the sleek, modern 1996 wing designed by Henning Larsen. These two distinct styles are seamlessly integrated by the lush, glass-domed Winter Garden, which serves as the museum's heart and provides a serene botanical oasis for visitors to transition between the ancient and modern galleries. Today, the Glyptotek stands as one of Denmark's most prestigious cultural institutions, boasting an unparalleled collection of over 10,000 works. Its galleries house the largest collection of ancient Mediterranean art in Northern Europe, alongside a world-renowned selection of 19th-century French and Danish paintings and sculptures. From the haunting beauty of Egyptian mummies to the expressive bronze works of Auguste Rodin and the vibrant canvases of Paul Gauguin, the museum offers a comprehensive journey through the evolution of human artistic expression across millennia.