Arnold Krog. Summer Villa Vrads in the Danish Heath. Vrads 1920 Dedicated to Axel Berg

Arnold Emil Krog (Danish: Arnold Emil Krog; March 18, 1856, Frederiksværk – June 7, 1931, Tisvildeleje) was a Danish architect, painter, ceramic artist, and graphic artist of the Art Nouveau period. He had a significant influence on Danish porcelain art, heading the Royal Copenhagen Porcelain Manufactory from 1885 to 1916. Arnold Emil Krog was born in Frederiksværk (island of Zealand, Hovedstaden region), in the family of Hans Jacob Grøgaard Krog, a factory inspector and later factory owner, and Jenny F. Meyer, the sister of Supreme Court Judge Fritz Meyer. After passing his exam in 1871, Arnold became an apprentice to master mason C. Winberg Eftu. In the winter of 1872–1873, he studied at Nielsen’s drawing school, and in the summer of 1873, became an apprentice mason to Krause. In March 1874, he was admitted to the general preparatory class of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen and received his architect's diploma in March 1880. His further education took place in Ludwig Fenger's workshop, later with Ferdinand Meldahl. From 1878 to 1881, under the guidance of Ferdinand Meldahl and Heinrich Hansen, he worked on the interior decoration of Fredensborg (Riddersal og Kongefløj), initially together with Kampmann, and later as head of the drawing office. In 1883, he worked at Henrik Hagemann's design studio, decorated the Moorish Hall in the Panoptikon building, and undertook private commissions for interior administrative and residential decor. During his stay in Italy in 1882–1883, Krog studied the architecture of Venice, Rome, and ancient Pompeii, as well as the art of the Italian Renaissance. In October 1884, on the recommendation of wood engraver F. Hendriksen, Arnold Krog was accepted as an artist at the faience manufactory "Aluminia" and the Royal Porcelain Manufactory in Copenhagen, where in January 1885 he was confirmed as artistic director, and from 1910 served as director. Krog had no other prerequisites for working with porcelain except his own artistic intuition, and therefore immediately departed from the conventional views of what royal porcelain should look like. At that time, after the leadership of Danish architect and painter Gustav Friedrich von Hetsch, the factory existed modestly, relying on classical traditions of overglaze polychrome painting. In 1886, during a trip to Paris with William Salomonsen, Krog became acquainted with Siegfried Bing's collection of Japanese porcelain and conceived the idea of reproducing in porcelain, similar to the Japanese style, characteristic Danish landscape scenes. Together with his colleagues, Krog found a special painting technique that highlighted the inherent beauty of the porcelain and the landscape motifs of the subdued northern nature through a gentle "northern" color palette and slightly blurred outlines of pale grey-blue, greenish, and violet colors of underglaze painting. Krog also moved away from the harsh, angular lines of old Empire-style models and began using simple, "flowing forms" with smooth contours, which gave more freedom for painting. These innovations matched the trends and tastes of the Art Nouveau era. Together, they brought extraordinary popularity to the products of Copenhagen's manufactory, which became an essential attribute of residential interiors in many European countries. This was a renewal of the art of porcelain, creating worldwide recognition for Danish artistic industry. At the 1889 Paris World's Fair, Danish craftsmen showcased white porcelain animal figures—a bear on an ice floe—which were hugely successful. At the 1900 World's Fair, again in Paris, the manufactory won the Grand Prix, and Danish porcelain once again became a highlight of the exhibition. Soon the expression "Danish style" became synonymous with "Art Nouveau style" in artistic porcelain. Krog involved young artists in his work. He designed furniture, metalware, and bookbinding patterns. In 1910, he visited the island of Ceylon, and then traveled to southern France. Krog left the manufactory in 1916 and then lived in Tisvilde, where he painted and made etchings. In 1892, he was appointed titular professor and became a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog and the Legion of Honour. He was a jury member at the 1889 Paris World's Fair, a member of the plenary assembly of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1911, a member of the Academy's Methods Council from 1911–1914, the Academy's Council from 1911–1919, and the committee of the American-Scandinavian Foundation in 1914.