A CULTURAL DELIGHT - DAVIDS SAMLING
This is a museum in what was once the house of its found, lawyer and art collector Christian Ludvig David (1878-1960), and it includes a neighbouring building which was acquired later. During the last 5 years it has undergone a major restoration and has now emerged as a truly stunning collection of European 18th century art and much more.
In a way it is like the Wallace Collection at Manchester Square in London which was also someone's private home and collection, but whereas the Wallace Collection is housed in huge rooms and feels like a museum, the David collection is much more intimate and private. One can actually imagine people living in those rooms.
The ground floor houses exquisite furniture, lots of French and German porcelain and silverware and much more. All set out in spacious rooms with beautiful parquet floors, rugs and chandeliers. On the walls are Dutch and French paintings and works by leading Danish Golden Age painters. There is also a collection of Danish Early Modern Art with no fewer than eleven works by Vilhelm Hammershoei.
There are altogether four floors of treasures - the Islamic Art Collection with 1400 works spanning 1200 years of Islamic art history, with works from Spain in the west to India in the east. It is a surprise to discover that the Fund is also involved in projects abroad. Bait-Al-Aqqad, a magnificent palace in Damascus was the subject of a joint Danish/Syrian restoration project. It took all of six years and the result is a stunning triple courtyeard cultural research centre used for lectures, students' Arabic courses, and a wide variety of cultural events. A slide show demonstrates just how impressive it looks.
The founder Christian L. David had inherited a fortune that he was able to increase substantially thanks to his interests in numerous leading Danish enterprises. In 1945 he decided to preserve his collection for posterity as a museum open to the public, owned and administered by the C.L. David Foundation and Collection.
Lene Orchard, former Editor, News & Views
Opening times:
Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday 13-17
Wednesday and Thursday 10-17
Monday closed
Also closed December 23,24,25, and 31
Admission free
www.davidmus.dk/samlingerne
