The Funen Art Museum

Facts

A temple of art and wisdom

By Gitte Haastrup, Arkitekt MAA (1 story)

The museum in Odense was founded in 1860, but was unable to welcome the public into a building of its own, at Jernbanegade 13, until 1885. It was designed by master builder A.F. Andersen and his son, architect F.E. Andersen with inspiration from ancient Greece and Rome. The temple-like mid-section was crowned by a statue of Pallas Athena, the Greek goddess of science and art. Initially, funds stretched only as far as the tall, narrow building facing the street. But in 1898, the museum gained an extension designed by architect Niels Jacobsen. Today, the building houses the Funen Art Museum.

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The man behind the town museum's tall ambitions

Story written by Gitte Haastrup

Time / Periode 1885

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Gustav Lotze (1825-1893) was one of Odense's most prominent citizens. He ran a large apothecary business and had a seat on the town council. From the mid-1870s and until his death, he wielded almost absolute power over the town museum. Lotze wanted a museum that suited Odense's status, which was Denmark's second-largest city at that time. The museum was to be a place that people came to not only for entertainment, but also to gather knowledge and culture in many areas. Under Lotze's management, the original collection of prehistoric artefacts was extended to include coins, art and objects of natural history. Lotze was also the driving force behind the establishment of the new museum building in 1885.