by BONNIE FORTUNE
Biscuit briber Astrid Noack, the artist whose star is quickly rising 57 years after her death
Sculptor Astrid Noack (1889-1954) was knowdn for working with different types of material (Photo: Royal Library)
In 2006, the Culture Ministry released the Cultural Canon of Denmark. The Cultural Canon lists, in separate categories, the best art works, films, architecture and design in the history of Denmark.
In the category of art works, Astrid Noack’s ‘Standing Woman’ is listed, among only 11 other pieces, as one of the best in the history of the country. Noack was a noted Danish sculptor while she lived and, since her inclusion in the Culture Canon, there has been a resurgence of interest in her work.
As a sculptor, Noack worked with several different materials. ‘Standing Woman’, for example, is carved from wood. Noack normally began her largely figurative sculptures by working with a live model and moulding the form in clay. The clay shape would be remade in plaster, where additional touches could be added, and later the piece could be finished in bronze. Her famous statue of the celebrated Danish painter, Anna Ancher, commissioned by the Skagens Museum, would have been created in this manner.
Noack was born on 30 January 1888, the seventh child of a wealthy grocer. She was a friend of artists growing up, often sitting as a model for paintings and sculptures. At the age of 18, Noack began to study art and sculpture in earnest when she started at Vallekilde Højskole. There she was trained in how to sculpt and, especially, how to carve in wood. Noack thrived in this artistic community, living and working with other artists. Though she was often considered a lonely and strange figure during her lifetime, from Vallekilde onwards, Noack would take solace in being around communities of working artists.
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