Skovgaard Museet
Art museum in Viborg's old town hall dedicated to the Skovgaard family of painters – from P.C. Skovgaard's Golden Age landscapes to Joakim Skovgaard's cathedral frescoes.
About the museum
The impetus for the museum was Joakim Skovgaard's monumental decoration of Viborg Cathedral, which he created between 1901 and 1913 with frescoes, glass mosaics, ceiling paintings and bronze figures covering more than 2,000 square meters. After his death, a memorial exhibition in 1937 led to the founding of the museum. Skovgaard himself had wished that it should show the whole artist family.
Today the collection includes works from five generations of the Skovgaard family: from the Golden Age landscape painter P.C. Skovgaard, through his children Joakim, Niels and Susette, who combined painting with ceramics, graphics, weaving and book art, to later descendants. There are also works by artists from their circle such as Johan Thomas Lundbye, Thorald Læssøe, Lorenz Frølich, Constantin Hansen and Janus la Cour, as well as a letter archive, a library and the design cartoons for the cathedral decoration.
Since 1981 the state-recognized art museum has been housed in Viborg's old town hall of 1728, right next to the cathedral. It is part of Domkirkekvarteret, an association of cultural attractions around the cathedral, and combines permanent presentations of the collection with changing exhibitions that relate the family's art to its time and to the present.
Highlights
- Landscape painting by P.C. Skovgaard from the Danish Golden Age
- Paintings and ceramics by the siblings Joakim, Niels and Susette Skovgaard
- Designs, sketches and cartoons for the frescoes in Viborg Cathedral
- Viborg's old town hall from 1728
- Museum garden with artworks and a fountain
Permanent exhibitions
- P.C. Skovgaard og det romantiske landskab – Landscape paintings and studies by P.C. Skovgaard showing how the Golden Age painter turned beech forests, coasts and burial mounds into images of Danish identity.
- De tre søskende og Det Moderne Gennembrud – Paintings and ceramics by Joakim, Niels and Susette Skovgaard, who broke away from the Golden Age and experimented with crafts in the spirit of Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau.
- Freskerne i Domkirken – Sketches, cartoons and models show the path from the first ideas to the finished decoration of Viborg Cathedral by Joakim Skovgaard.
- Founded
- 1937
- Director
- Pernille Rom Bruun
Admission & discounts
| Adults | DKK 90 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | DKK 75Seniors over 65 |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 have free admission. |
| Seniors | DKK 75From age 65. |
| Students & apprentices | freeFree admission with a student ID. |
| Groups (10+ people) | DKK 70 per personPer person for 10 or more people; larger groups, please register in advance. |
Members of the friends' association Skovgaard Museets Venner have free admission.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is in a listed building about 300 years old, with no elevator and steep stairs; a visit is very difficult for guests with mobility impairments. The museum recommends bringing a companion.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
Children and young people under 18 have free admission. During the fall school holidays, there is a free daily workshop for children in kindergarten through 6th grade, in which paintings are explored and traced through touch and listening.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Viborg Station · 10-min walk
Direct trains from Struer, Aarhus and Langå every half hour to Viborg Station; from there about a 10-minute walk through the pedestrian zone.
By car
Parking available
Parking for cars and buses directly in front of the museum.
Amenities & dining
- Museum shop
Museum shop with art books, ceramics, art glass and jewelry; coffee, tea, hot chocolate and chocolate are also available there. In the small museum garden behind the building, with a fountain and artworks, you may eat food you bring.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
The museum can be rented for events; the price is agreed individually.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | On Saturdays and Sundays at 12:00, a free introduction to the current special exhibition (after paying admission); from November to February, additionally a free guided tour on the first Thursday of the month at 14:30 without registration. Group tours in the museum or in Viborg Cathedral in Danish or English for up to 40 people: DKK 600 per hour or part thereof during the day, DKK 750 in the evening, on weekends and on public holidays, plus admission. Schools can use the exhibitions on their own free of charge. |
