Glyptotek in Copenhagen
Oh man. I feel a bit ashamed, but after studying 21 years the Archaeology of West Asia, I just recently found my way into the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen. This museum does offer way more than objects from West Asia, but it was not the exhibition that caught my breath, it was the building!
What is the Glyptotek in Copenhagen?
So the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek is one of the main museums in Copenhagen. It houses collections of modern French and Danish art, Greek and Roman sculpture, Egyptian and Ancient Mediterranean art. As a scholar of the Archaeology of West Asia, I was naturally drawn to the exhibition of the Ancient Mediterranean, but before I came to that, I was struck with the beauty of the entrance hall, the Winter Garden with mosaic floors, tall palms, a fountain and topped by a dome made in copper and wrought iron.
It was really beautiful and I spent quiet some time standing there and looking up. I was so mesmerized, that I nearly forgot to take out my phone to shoot some photos. I also tried out my new 360° view feature and you can see the result above and below. In my opinion, it captures the room way better than a normal photo could.
What stuck with me
Besides the winter garden above, the museum’s Central Hall was also impressing, imitating a Roman forum. It was amazing and provided a spectacular atmosphere flanked by Roman portrait statues of emperors and citizens. As you can see, I was more or less alone in this room, which gave it an even better feel.
Besides the two rooms, the exhibitions were also very nice, show-casing artefacts from nearly 6000 years. Some few examples also provided statue painting, show-casing an ongoing discussion about the colourfulness of ancient sculpture. I was very impressed by the modern display of ancient art, something that not every world class museum is able to pull off.
An additional note
I was one of the first in the museum in the morning and it was a very good idea. I got plenty of time to take some photographs and have a look at the exhibits in peace. If you are in Copenhagen and want to visit, come as early as possible, it is a totally different atmosphere. It is worth a visit and when you are done viewing the exhibitions, you can relax in the museum café, which is located in the beautiful winter garden.
