Georg Arthur Jensen (1866-1935) was a Danish jeweler, artist and sculptor whose work had a significant impact on the development of jewelry design in the Scandinavian countries.
Jensen began his career at the age of 14, becoming an apprentice in a jewelry workshop. He later received his artistic education, studying sculpture at the Royal Danish Academy of Art (1895-1901). Jensen worked in the workshop of the court jeweler Michelsen, as well as in the studio of Mogens Ballin, where he carried out orders for products made of tin and silver. In 1904, he opened his own workshop in Copenhagen and began to produce Art Nouveau silver jewelry. Jensen’s work was a great success, and soon his workshop was transformed into the firm “Georg Jensen”. In 1914, the firm opened a branch in Berlin, in 1921 – in London, in 1924 – in New York, on Fifth Avenue.
The works of the company Gerog Jensen were exhibited in 1900 at the World Exhibition in Paris, and at the Brussels Exhibition of 1910 he received a gold medal.
Georg Jensen’s style of silver jewelry is known as “skønvirke” (skönvirke) or “aesthetic work”. In 1914, the Skønvirke magazine began to be printed in Denmark, which promoted the traditions of local artisans and the ideas of national romanticism. The very word Skønvirke has become synonymous with Scandinavian Art Nouveau, which is characterized by soft organic forms, often plant-inspired, sometimes highly stylized. Hand-chased silver is often adorned with cabochon stones that add color and contrast to the pieces.
After the death of Georg A. Jensen in 1935, his son Jørgen Jensen (1885-1966) took over the firm. He retained the artistic style of the firm, which was laid down by his father, and attracted many famous designers to work, including Sigvard Bernadotte, Henning Koppel, Eric Magnussen. The brand “Georg Jensen” exists today, delighting fans of Scandinavian design with its products.
