Danish "Skønvirke": The Arts and Crafts Period

The estimate period in Denmark lasted approx. from 1900-1930.

It emerged as a resistance to mass production and style mixing from the other contemporary styles such as historicism, new baroque, national romanticism and new classicism.

Skønvirke gradually got its own design language. The inspiration came from i.a. Viking ornamentation, but especially from England, where William Morris already in 1883 spearheaded what they called "The Arts & Crafts Movement".

​

Skønvirke had long before then developed its characteristics from a Japanese-inspired organic design language of meandering plants, flowers, trees and elements of the sea flora and fauna. The artificially created nature was to be found in pretty much everything from buildings to skirts.

Some of the most important artists of the beauty pageant period in Denmark were i.a. Thorvald Bindesbøll, Johan Rohde, George Jensen, Carl Leuning Borch, Joakim Skovgaard and JF Willumsen.