Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan

Hans Peder Pedersen-Dan was a Danish sculptor.

Early life and education

Pedersen-Dan was born at Itzehoe in Schleswig-Holstein. He was the son of Ole Pedersen and Elisabeth Sofie Johansen. After completing his stonemason's apprenticeship, he set out in 1878 to travel Europe as a wandering journeyman. He lived in Rome between 1881 and 1887. He studied at the Danish Academy of Fine Arts of Copenhagen where he was awarded a gold medal in 1898. In 1890 he received the academy scholarship and next year he spent in Paris.

Pedersen-Dans created a number of well-known sculptures. These include the Little Horn-Blower at City Hall Square in Copenhagen, the four granite elephants of the Elephant Gate at the Ny Carlsberg brewery in Valby and a statue of Ogier the Dane for the romantic gardens at Marienlyst House. The latter was later re-cast in artificial stone at placed in the dungeons underneath Kronborg Castle.
He also designed a monument to Danish volunteers in World War I in Rueil-Malmaison in France and the four statues of queens of the Queens Gate at the new Christiansborg Palace.

Pedersen-Dan was married to Johanne Pedersen-Dan who was an actress before she also turned to sculpturing, in 1888, training under Stephan Sinding. The couple adopted a girl, Rigmor. They lived in Hvidovre Rytterskole in Hvidovre from 1912. He became a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1898. He died at Hellerup in 1939.

Michael Drewsen, Silkeborg, The Little Horn-Blower, City Hall Square, Copenhagen