Know your artist: Ville Jais Nielsen
The artistic prowess of Ville Jais Nielsen is beyond question. Yet it is striking how little has been written about the artist’s work and creative process. Her status as a classic modernist has sparked increased interest in her work, which can be found at several Danish museums. On 17 December, one of her visionary pieces will be going under the hammer at our Online Auction.
Vilhelmine “Ville” Jais Nielsen (née Oppenheim) is born in Randers in 1886. At the age of 19, she moves to Copenhagen and begins her education, first as a student at Tegne- og Kunstindustriskolen for Kvinder (Draftsmanship and Industrial Design School for Women), then as an apprentice at Georg Jensens Sølvsmedie (silversmithy), and later as a porcelain painter at Bing & Grøndahl from 1910 to 1912. Same period sees her journey to Paris, where she studies under French artist Othon Friesz.
“In this 1937 still life of fruit, Ville Jais Nielsen’s painterly expertise is quietly evident, anchored by the lustrous bowl of lemons that commands attention in the foreground. A wine bottle stands in the middle distance, with the bowl almost leaning up against it, and a green pear positioned alongside. Ville Jais Nielsen’s characteristic strokes are particularly visible in the pear, a motif she returns to repeatedly in her art. The painting in the background also warrants attention, as it reveals the clear international influences in Ville Jais Nielsen’s technique: Through bold black contours, the reclining figure of a woman emerges, painted with a modernist’s touch that bears witness to her likely study of modern masters such as Matisse and Picasso during her time in Paris”.
Emma Bjørløw MøllerExpert in modern art & contemporary art at Bruun Rasmussen
Modernism, Fauvism and Cubism
Like the painter Astrid Holm, Ville Jais Nielsen belongs to the group of Danish modernists that are in Paris before the First World War. The French capital serves as a melting pot where artists from various nations converge. They soak up the artistic impressions, carrying their essence back home to Denmark where it blossoms into their distinctive personal styles. During her time in Paris, Ville Jais Nielsen witnesses both Fauvism and Cubism first-hand, drawing inspiration from the era’s most influential artists. Upon her return to Copenhagen, she continues her artistic education under Harald Giersing before studying with Norwegian painter Henrik Sørensen.
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World wars leave their mark
Denmark experiences an artistic renaissance in the years leading up to and during World War I, with Copenhagen emerging as the “Paris of the North”. The artists here are inspired by the European avant-garde art they see at major touring exhibitions. Ville Jais Nielsen’s artistic education and vision shine through in works that seamlessly blend Fauvism and Cubism with classic Modernism. In the war years of 1943–45, Ville Jais Nielsen is separated from her husband – the painter and ceramist Johannes Jais Nielsen whom she married in 1920 – and her children, as her Jewish background forces her to flee to Stockholm, where she remains for the rest of the war. The Swedish art scene nevertheless offers her both friendship and continued artistic development. Ville Jais Nielsen dies in Hellerup in 1949.
Ville Jais Nielsen’s art gains momentum at auction
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Ville Jais Nielsen is awarded the Eckersberg Medal in 1947, and today her works enrich the collections of several Danish museums, including the National Gallery of Denmark, Fuglsang Kunstmuseum, Randers Kunstmuseum and Trapholt. Ville Jais Nielsen has gradually become a more frequent guest at our auctions. Her paintings are attracting mounting interest, reflected in steadily rising prices. A self-portrait from 1916 achieved a hammer price of DKK 24,000 at an auction in early 2024, following the earlier success of a green still life from 1944 which sold for DKK 30,000. These two works illustrate the progression of her distinctive brushwork and artistic expression in her paintings. Now is your chance to bid on Ville Jais Nielsen’s still life, which, with her distinctly modern brushwork, reflects the influence of the masters she likely studied during her time in Paris. |
Focus on women artists in March 2025
The task of securing proper recognition and visibility for Denmark’s female modernists, including Ville Jais Nielsen, remains an ongoing challenge. To address this, we’ll be shining the spotlight on women artists from 1850–1950 at both Live and Online themed auctions in March 2025. While we’ve already secured several beautiful works, including pieces by Ville Jais Nielsen, we continue to seek additional artworks by women artists from this period. Please do not hesitate to contact our specialists for a no-obligation valuation.
For further information, please contact
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Emma Bjørløw MøllerEmma Bjørløw MøllerSpecialist / Modern & Contemporary Art / København |