The Lundbye Sculpture at Klostertorvet

In the heart of Kalundborg's old town stands one of the town's most personal works of art: a bronze sculpture of the Danish Golden Age painter Johan Thomas Lundbye, who was born just a few hundred metres away. The sculpture is the work of artist Maja Lisa Engelhardt and is one of the sites in Lundbye Landmarks – a series of marked places in and around Kalundborg where you can experience the painter's life and motifs.

The painter on his way home

Standing over two metres tall, the sculpture shows Lundbye walking, as if he were heading back to town after a long day out on Røsnæs with sketchpad and paints. It does not stand on a plinth but directly on the ground, surrounded by grass and earth. This creates an unusual closeness: you can walk right up to the painter, stand beside him and look in the same direction. The sculpture was unveiled in connection with the Lundbye Art Festival and has since become a natural focal point for the town's story of its famous son.

The artist

Maja Lisa Engelhardt is a renowned Danish artist known for painting, sculpture and decorative commissions, and she has a special connection to Lundbye and the area around Kalundborg. She chose to show the painter in motion and at eye level with the viewer rather than on a pedestal – a person walking through the landscape rather than a monument to look up to.

An artist who found his motifs here

Lundbye was born in Kalundborg in 1818 and returned many times during his short life. He roamed the area with his drawing and painting gear and found motifs in the town's church and windmills, in the dolmens at Raklev and on the coasts of Røsnæs and Asnæs. His pictures of the Danish landscape are now a key part of Golden Age art, and his masterpiece "A Danish Coast" is one of the best-known paintings of the period.

The surroundings

Klostertorvet lies by Kaalund Kloster, close to the old upper town of Højbyen with its cobbled streets and the five-towered Church of Our Lady, which Lundbye painted as a young man. From the sculpture it is a short walk to his birthplace in Skibbrogade, where a memorial plaque marks the spot, and to the church square with a bust of the painter. A path leads from the sculpture through the park, and nearby you can also see a large painting by Maja Lisa Engelhardt inspired by "A Danish Coast".

Start of Lundbye Landmarks

The sculpture is an obvious place to begin exploring Lundbye Landmarks. At the landmark posts a QR code shows the works belonging to each place, quotes from Lundbye's diaries and letters, and audio stories. The town walk links the sites in and near Kalundborg, while the routes on Røsnæs and Asnæs lead out into the landscapes he painted. Find more to experience in town and in the surrounding nature at destinationsjaelland.dk.

Who is it for?

The sculpture is a short but atmospheric stop for anyone visiting Kalundborg – and a must for art lovers and those curious about the Golden Age. It is always accessible and centrally located, so it is easy to combine with a stroll through the old town, a museum visit or a coffee in town. Children often enjoy standing next to the large bronze figure and copying his stride.