The Western canon is the body of high-culture literature, music, philosophy, and works of art that are highly valued in the West, works that have achieved the status of classics. However, not all these works originate in the Western world, and such works are also valued throughout the globe. It is "a certain Western intellectual tradition that goes from, say, Socrates to Wittgenstein in philosophy, and from Homer to James Joyce in literature".
The culture of Denmark has a rich artistic and scientific heritage. The fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875), the philosophical essays of Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855), the short stories of Karen Blixen, penname Isak Dinesen, (1885–1962), the plays of Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754), modern authors such as Herman Bang and Nobel laureate Henrik Pontoppidan and the dense, aphoristic poetry of Piet Hein (1905–1996), have earned international recognition, as have the symphonies of Carl Nielsen (1865–1931). From the mid-1990s, Danish films have attracted international attention, especially those associated with Dogme 95 like those of Lars Von Trier. Denmark has had a strong tradition of movie making and Carl Theodor Dreyer has been recognised as one of the world's greatest film directors. The astronomical discoveries of Tycho Brahe (1546–1601), Ludwig A. Colding's (1815–1888) neglected articulation of the principle of conservation of energy, and the foundational contributions to atomic physics of Niels Bohr (1885–1962); in this century Lene Vestergaard Hau in quantum physics involving the stopping of light, advances in nano-technology, and contributions to the understanding of Bose-Einstein Condensates, demonstrate the range and endurance of Danish scientific achievement.
The Nordic Council Literature Prize is awarded for a work of literature written in one of the languages of the Nordic countries, that meets "high literary and artistic standards". Established in 1962, the prize is awarded every year, and is worth 350,000 Danish kroner (2008). Eligible works are typically novels, plays, collections of poetry, short stories or essays, or other works that were published for the first time during the last four years, or in the case of works written in Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish, within the last two years. The prize is one of the most prestigious awards that Nordic authors can win.
The Rector of Veilbye is a crime mystery written in 1829 by the Danish author Steen Steensen Blicher. The novella is based upon a true murder case from 1626 in the village of Vejlby near Grenå, Denmark, which Blicher knew partly from Erik Pontoppidan's Danish Church History (1741), and partly through oral tradition. Blicher's tragic tale has been adapted for the screen three times by Danish filmmakers.
Astrid Henning-Jensen was a Danish film director, actress, editor and screenwriter.
Henning Carlsen was a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer most noted for his documentaries and his contributions to the style of cinéma vérité. Carlsen's 1966 social-realistic drama Hunger (Sult) was nominated for the Palme d'Or and won the Bodil Award for Best Danish Film. Carlsen also won the Bodil Award the following year for the comedy People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart. Acting as his own producer since 1960, Carlsen has directed more than 25 films, 19 for which he wrote the screenplay. In 2006, he received the Golden Swan Lifetime Achievement Award at the Copenhagen International Film Festival.
Benny Andersen was a Danish poet, author, songwriter, composer and pianist. He is often remembered for his collaboration with the singer Povl Dissing; together they released an album with Andersen's poems from the collection Svantes viser. This album and Andersen's book "Svantes viser" from 1972 were included by the Danish Ministry of Culture in the Danish Culture Canon in 2006, in the category "Popular music". Andersen's "Samlede digte" have sold more than 100,000 copies in Denmark.
Undløse Church is located in the village of Undløse some 17 km (11 mi) southwest of Holbæk in northern Zealand, Denmark. The original part of the Romanesque church derives from the late 12th century. The church is noted for its early 15th-century frescoes and for its elaborate Baroque altarpiece and pulpit, both woodcuts by Abel Schrøder.
Hover Church is located approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) west of the village of Hover in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality, Denmark. Built in twelfth century, it is one of Denmark's oldest stone churches. Not much has changed in its shape and appearance over the past 800 years, making it a good example of old Danish architecture. Hover Church is included within the Danish Culture Canon in the Architecture category.
Christian Joseph Zuber was a Danish Royal architect who was strongly influenced by Nicolas-Henri Jardin.
Christian Erhardt Bredsdorff, commonly known as Peter Bredsdorff, (1913–1981) was a Danish architect and urban planner who is remembered for his Finger Plan for the development of Copenhagen. In this connection, his name is included in the Danish Culture Canon.
Jason with the Golden Fleece is a sculpture by Bertel Thorvaldsen. A lifesize clay version created in 1803 is considered to be the artist's first great work. The larger marble statue, reaching a height of 242 cm (95 in), was however not completed until 1828.
Lucky Per is a novel by Danish Nobel Prize–winning author Henrik Pontoppidan published in eight volumes between 1898 and 1904. It is considered one of the major Danish novels, and in 2004 it was made part of the Danish Culture Canon.
Jens August Schade was a Danish poet. His debut was the 1926 poetry collection den levende violin, "the living violin". He referred to himself in his poetry as "the bright poet". The themes of his poetry were often the interconnection between the erotic and the forces of the cosmos. In 1963 he received the grand prize of the Danish Academy. His 1928 work "Læren om staten" is part of the Danish Culture Canon.
Ole Sarvig was a Danish author and poet, known for his participation in the literary journal heretica. In 1967 he received the grand prize of the Danish Academy. In 2004 his 1943 work Regnmaaleren was included in the Danish Culture Canon. He was a friend and mentor to the poet Michael Strunge, whose poem "December" remembers Sarvig's death by suicide in December 1981. Like Sarvig, Strunge took his life by jumping from a building.
De Levendes Land is a hymn written in 1824 by the Danish theologian and priest, N. F. S. Grundtvig. It is composed in a metre similar to a famous hymn, Far Verden, far vel by Thomas Kingo but unlike its baroque model, Grundtvig's work carries a more optimistic message, expressing faith in the love and grace of God. The poem was written at a critical time in Grundtvig's life but lends voice to his belief that with God's love one can find happiness in life.
Den Frie Udstilling is a Danish artists' association, founded in 1891 by artists in protest against the admission requirements for the Kunsthal Charlottenborg. Modeled on the Salon des Refusés, it is Denmark's oldest association of artists. Now located on Copenhagen's Oslo Plads next to Østerport Station, it works as an arts centre, continuing to exhibit works created and selected by contemporary artists rather than those chosen by cultural authorities.
The Gedser wind turbine is located near Gedser in the south of the Danish island of Falster. It was constructed by the engineer Johannes Juul in 1957 for the SEAS electricity company with support from the Marshall Plan. Its innovative design was a major breakthrough in the development of wind turbines.
Johannes Juul was a Danish engineer who is remembered for the important part he played in the development of wind turbines. His achievements are included in the Danish Culture Canon.
Efterårsmorgen ved Sortedamssøen is an oil painting by Christen Købke, one of the leading artists in the Golden Age of Danish Painting. Included in the 2006 Danish Culture Canon, the painting hangs in Copenhagen's Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.
