Monumental Murals – Joakim Skovgaard’s Frescoes in Viborg Cathedral

In 1890, the artist Joakim Skovgaard was asked to take on the colossal task of decorating the walls and ceilings of Viborg Cathedral. Twenty-six years later, the final result was ready: more than 2,500 square metres covered in frescoes and paintings in a style that merges history with modernity.

Today, the scenes are as fresh and radiant as ever after a thorough restoration of the paintings undertaken by the National Museum of Denmark and the Viborg Diocese. To mark the occasion, the authors of this volume, in collaboration with the Skovgaard Museum, explored the many different facets of the frescoes and their creation, from their artistic and theological significance to their technical execution. Every single work of art in the cathedral is reproduced in this book, which offers new perspectives and paves the way for a renewed appreciation of this milestone feat in Danish art history.