Per Arnoldi

Per Arnoldi (b. 1941) is a self-taught, world-famous modernist artist. He is considered to be one of Denmark’s most important poster artists, although his far-reaching production spans many media with painting and sculpture – as well as graphic art and design. Arnoldi has evolved from the cheerful, colourful Pop Art of the 1960s to austere constructivism and aesthetics inspired by Bauhaus and De Stijl. He is known for his tight, easily recognisable mode of expression and use of colour. As a painter, he always uses the primary colours red, yellow and blue.

Per Arnoldi’s Most Important Works: Cirkus Arena, DSB and the Colours
From the mid-1960s and in the 1970s, his encounter with American Pop Art was a major source of inspiration for Arnoldi. His artistic breakthrough as a poster artist came in the 1970s in connection with a collaboration with Cirkus Arena and the Danish national railway company, DSB.

Arnoldi’s work at Ryvangen Memorial Park (Mindelunden) particularly stands out in his career as an artist, where he won the competition to create a monument in honour of the Danish sailors who died during World War II. The work depicts a black sea with a sight that emphasises the danger and tragedy suffered by Danish sailors during the war.

Working with the English architect and designer Norman Robert Foster, Arnoldi created the National Police Memorial in England, which commemorates the police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. 

Per Arnoldi’s Art Mission
Arnoldi wants to make art usable and to reach as large an audience as possible. He was an art mediator for the art journal Mobilia from 1964 to 1972 and later became a household name in Denmark for hosting “Kunstquiz”, a quiz show about art in 1983. Arnoldi has also worked as an artistic consultant, among other things designing the colour scheme for the new Reichsdag in Berlin in 2000, and in connection with the construction of the Opera House in Copenhagen in 2004, for which he designed the logo and stage curtain. He is moreover an international success in Japan, where, in addition to exhibitions, he has worked on major decoration commissions. Despite his prolific output, his works rarely come up for sale.

In 2011, Arnoldi became chairman of the Danish Arts Council, but was forced to resign from his post after seven months. This was due, among other things, to the violent protests that had taken place in connection with Arnoldi’s chairmanship and his political mantra that art should not provoke or give rise to debate, but simply enrich the world.

Known Exhibitions
Arnoldi has exhibited everywhere from MoMA in New York to the Museum in London to Morsø Art Association. This underlines just how versatile and globally appealing Per Arnoldi is as an artist.

Nominations and Awards
Over the course of his life as an artist, Arnoldi has received IG-Prisen (1982), the Toulouse Lautrec Award (1985), the Høyens Medal (1991), the Eckersberg Medal (2000) and not least Modersmål-Prisen (the Mother Tongue Award) (2011).

Works for Sale at Bruun Rasmussen
At Bruun Rasmussen, we pride ourselves on offering works that arouse interest and are relevant to art lovers. You can keep an eye on the Per Arnoldi works up for auction here.

If you are a seller, you can read our guide to selling through Bruun Rasmussen here.