Thyra Boldsen

Thyra Boldsen had her greatest success as a sculptor in the United States. She studied in Paris and Copenhagen and traveled to the USA in the 1920s for the first time after having undertaken extensive travels through Europe. In the US, she created busts of famous personalities such as the aviator Charles Lindbergh and the Japanese dancer Mitshio Ito.

In 1916, she received the Eckersberg Medal for “Løberske ved Startstedet” (“Runner at the Starting Point”), later as “The Start” one of entries in 1932. Boldsen created naturalistic sculptures in various types of stone. In addition, after her experiences during World War I, she followed the philosophy of Høffding and Rudolf Steiner and wrote a series of books on the subject. She presented a design for her unrealised “opus magnus”, a monument to the Mother of the World, to the press during the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was to be made of marble and be 512 times its natural size. “Genius of Gymnastics” is probably equivalent to the 185 cm high marble statue “Terpsichore” or “Melody of Life”, which, according to American sources, was exhibited during the Games. In Greek mythology, Terpsichore was the muse of dance. Together with “The Start” (marble, approx. 210 cm) and three other statues, it was erected in Exposition Park in Los Angeles in 1936. In 1968, after the artist’s death, her heirs reclaimed the works and brought them to Denmark. Boldsen was married to Danish gymnast Kaj Gnudtzmann from 1906 to 1915.