Georg Jensen

Georg Jensen was born in 1866 as the son of a blacksmith from Raadvad just north of Copenhagen. At the age of 14 he began his training as a silversmith. His dream was, however, to become a sculptor.

In 1892, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts but had difficulty making a living, so he opened a small pottery workshop instead. His fame, name and reputation date from 1904 when he opened his silversmith's workshop in a small shop in 36 Bredgade, Copenhagen.

Georg Jensen renewed the tradition of silversmith work by uniting art and craft. His silverware, objects d'art and jewellery, inspired by the contemporary dominant Art Nouveau style, soon became fashionable among the well-to-do, and he was able to expand his modest workshop.

He had the rare gift for attracting a staff of highly talented designers and craftsmen, and in this way he created a tradition which, since his death in 1935 and to this day, has characterised the Georg Jensen and Royal Scandinavia Group. Throughout the world the name is synonymous with excellent Danish decorative art and design.

Georg Jensen