Frederiksborg Castle Gives Women Space: See the Updated Portrait Exhibition

Krøyer, Gerda Wegener, and Inger Christensen

In the revised portrait exhibition at Frederiksborg Castle, you can see intriguing portraits of deceased and living Danes who, in their own ways, have left their mark on Denmark's history.

Experience, among other things, several portraits painted by P.S. Krøyer, a series of photos of Suzanne Brøgger, a festively dressed but very tired Herman Bang, a portrait of the poet Inger Christensen, as well as a portrait painted by Gerda Wegener. The portrait depicts Lili Elbe, the first transgender woman to undergo gender reassignment surgery.

Every Permanent Exhibition Needs Updating

The Museum of National History at Frederiksborg Castle has the task of depicting Danish history, among other things, as it appears in portrait art. In the department for art from the 20th and 21st centuries, it was time to update the selected portraits.

We all relate to the time we live in – we become wiser and gain new perspectives through public conversation. Therefore, the update of the exhibition has not taken place without a connection to the present, and the proportion of female portraits in the exhibition has thus increased from 14% to 40%.