At the Skovgaard Museum, you can experience Joakim Skovgaard’s original sketches for the monumental decoration of Viborg Cathedral (1901–1906). These fascinating cartoons, drawn at a 1:1 scale, reveal both that the finished work does not always follow the sketches—and that citizens of Viborg may have served as models for the frescoes.
Naturally, Joakim Skovgaard’s main work, the decoration of Viborg Cathedral, cannot be seen at the Skovgaard Museum. And it truly deserves to be experienced in its proper setting, shining within the beautiful cathedral space located next to the museum.
However, in our lower floor galleries, you can explore the original sketches and gain a unique and fascinating insight into the artistic process behind the cathedral’s overall decoration.
Of course, Joakim Skovgaard did not work alone. He collaborated with a team of craftsmen and artistic assistants.
And he certainly did not rely on free improvisation on the walls. Quite the opposite.
Large, detailed cartoons
For his designs, Joakim Skovgaard used cartoons drawn at a 1:1 scale, many of which are part of the museum’s collection.
On many of these cartoons, you can see holes along the outlines of the figures. These result from Skovgaard and his team holding the sketches up against the church walls and using the holes to transfer the design with charcoal dust.
Many of the cartoons also display quite thorough coloring. Unusually, color already played an important role at the sketch stage.
You can also spot small details on some cartoons that were never included on the cathedral walls.
For example, Joakim Skovgaard had intended for a digging man to be part of the motif The Ascension of Christ. However, for unknown reasons, this figure was ultimately omitted. Today, the change can only be seen by closely studying the cartoons.
Who appears in the frescoes? Help the Skovgaard Museum remember
It is said in Viborg that Joakim Skovgaard used local citizens as models for his frescoes.
At the Skovgaard Museum, we are collecting stories about who might be recognizable on the cathedral walls. So if you can identify any of the figures or know stories connected to the frescoes, we would very much like to hear from you—even if you think we may have heard the story before.