Although Almost two years ago, Queen Margrethe left the throne to King Frederik, interest in her remains high.
This is what the Greenlandic art historian Laila Lund Altinbas tells us. She helped Randers Art Museum with a large special exhibition earlier this year artworks from Queen Margrethe's large private art collection.
- My help was quite small. I helped the museum write the dissemination text for the three tupilaks, which many in the Kingdom know from The queen's desk when she gave New Year's speeches, says Laila Lund Alto bass.
- Afterwards I was invited to talk about the tupil lacquers in the middle of October at an evening event at the museum.
- It was a success. Half a hundred people showed up the arrangement. It turned out that the three tulips had been seen by everyone - and many had talked about them when listening to the New Year's speech with a glass champagne in hand, so Queen Margrethe has really brought Greenlandic art out to the population, says Laila Lund Altinbas.
Carved elephant tusk
The Greenlandic art historian can also reveal that the queen in its collection has a carved elephant tusk that is made of tupilak artist Aron Kleist, who is also the artist behind the largest of them three tulips on the Queen's desk
The history of tupil coats begins in 1975, when Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik visits South Greenland and receives the tulips as a gift.
- They are so impressed by Aron's figure that in the summer of 1977 orders a carved ivory tusk from him - therefore they send him two elephant tusks, one to practice on, and another for the final work, explains Laila Lund Alto bass.
It is unknown where the elephant tusks come from, but Prince Henrik lived in Vietnam for five years during his childhood and later returned to Hanoi to study.
- So it's probably elephant tusks from the time that Aron Kleist has cut in. At least it makes good sense, for all trade with elephant tusks and ivory were banned when the Washington Convention became adopted in 1973.
Conservator solved the problem
- Aron's figures are easy to recognize by their refined and detailed processing of the surface. One of the other figures in the collection has the same characteristic beautiful surface, but the royal house was not sure the artist's name - until they were reviewed by a conservator for the exhibition in Randers.
- The conservator stuck to the initials "CK", which must be Aron's daughter Cecilie Kleist. Cecilie and Aron worked so closely for a period together, that you could hardly tell their works apart - however, she took more often portrays women than his father.
- The last figure is by an unknown artist, like so many others tupilak figurines, where the artist has unfortunately not been noted - and here was there is no signature on the figure, says Laila Lund Altinbas.
It is Queen Margrethe herself who has selected the 60 or so works there included in the exhibition at Randers Art Museum. The selected works represent several centuries and many styles. Naturalistic and figurative are shown landscapes, portraits and abstract compositions.
The works reflect a lifelong encounter with art, guided by personal intuition, aesthetic sense and great interest in and knowledge of art, literature and history. Overall, the exhibition is rich, multifaceted and colourful a whole composed of the works of art that have had a very special character over the years significance for Queen Margrethe. On a daily basis, the works are part of the decoration of Queen Margrethe's home at the royal castles, Marselisborg, Amalienborg, Fredensborg and Gråsten Castle.
The special exhibition with Queen Margrethe's artworks at Randers The art museum was open until 14 December.
