Johannes Wiedewelt, Danish neoclassical sculptor. He became a court sculptor, introducing neoclassical ideals to Denmark in the form of palace decorations, garden sculptures and artifacts and, especially, memorial monuments. He was undoubtedly the best known Danish sculptor before Bertel Thorvaldsen.
Johannes Wiedewelt as painted by Peder Als in 1766.
Danish sculpture as a nationally recognized art form can be traced back to 1752 when Jacques Saly was commissioned to execute a statue of King Frederick V of Denmark on horseback. While Bertel Thorvaldsen was undoubtedly the country's most prominent contributor, many other players have produced fine work, especially in the areas of Neoclassicism, Realism, and in Historicism, the latter resulting from growing consciousness of a national identity. More recently, Danish sculpture has been inspired by European trends, especially those from Paris, including Surrealism and Modernism.
Equestrian bronze statue of King Frederik V created in Neoclassical style by Jacques Saly in 1768
Removal from the Cross at Ribe Cathedral (ca. 1175)
Johannes Wiedewelt:Frederik V's sarcophagus (1769) in Roskilde Cathedral
The Thorvaldsen Museum in Copenhagen