Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum

"Just living is not enough, said the Butterfly. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." ---Hans Christian Andersen

Copenhagen is one of those places you could return to repeatedly and find an entirely new experience each time.


While we essentially gave only passing glances to ostensibly its top attractions, Tivoli Gardens and the Little Mermaid statue, both of which are the brainchildren of the brilliant Hans Christian Andersen, a figure who undoubtedly influenced the great American Walt Disney, we nonetheless enjoyed an amazing visit. Perhaps the greatest surprise for us was the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek Museum, which Julie called, at the end of our trip, the best museum she had ever visited.


Keep in mind that we previously have visited many more famous museums, including the Louvre, Getty and, on this trip, St. Peterburg's Hermitage. In terms of sheer size and scope, of course, the Glyptotek pales by comparison to the big boys, but for more casual art aficionados like ourselves, who spend only an hour or two in a museum, its accessibility and tastefully selected inclusions make it a great choice.


We always enjoy the work of French impressionist painters, and the Glyptotek has an interesting though certainly limited exhibit over a series of levels. Continuing to ascend upwards, we found ourselves upon a rooftop with a panoramic view of some Tivoli Garden rides and other parts of Copenhagen.

Of more interest to me than the paintings were the assorted works of my favorite sculptor, Auguste Rodin, including copies of The Kiss, The Thinker and The Burghers of Calais. I saw several more obscure Rodin pieces I'd never seen before, and lots of sculptings in a similar beautifully realistic style.

Despite having free admission on Sundays, the museum was uncrowded, even in the surprising central garden atrium which is a beautiful place to relax between museum wings. Neo-classical sculpture and lovely plants create a tranquil environment.

Even more surprising than the central garden were some tile arrangements I found in the Mediterranean exhibit. My wife and I were both drawn to their unique designs. Reading the placard, I learned these came from the walls by the gates to the ancient city of Ishtar, which brought to mind the quirky movie of the same name that I think only I, with my odd sense of humor, enjoyed. As I read on, I learned they had been commissioned by King Nebuchadnezzar, a name I remembered from Sunday school classes long ago. It turns out that inside the gates of Ishtar could be found the Tower of Babel. I didn't take a photo for some reason, but you can see the tile lion in the middle of this video I found on youtube. (5/2/13-I just noticed that video is no longer available, so I substituted one that doesn't have the gates of Ishtar.)

For those of you who didn't go to Sunday school, you might wish to contemplate the following quote about the Tower of Babel that comes from Genesis Chapter 11:

4...“Come on! Let us build ourselves a city and also a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a celebrated name for ourselves, for fear we may be scattered over all the surface of the earth.” 5 And Jehovah proceeded to go down to see the city and the tower that the sons of men had built. 6 After that Jehovah said: “Look! They are one people and there is one language for them all, and this is what they start to do. Why, now there is nothing that they may have in mind to do that will be unattainable for them. 7 Come now! Let us go down and there confuse their language that they may not listen to one another’s language.” 8 Accordingly Jehovah scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth, and they gradually left off building the city. 9 That is why its name was called Ba′bel, because there Jehovah had confused the language of all the earth, and Jehovah had scattered them from there over all the surface of the earth.