Franciska Clausen

Franciska Clausen was a Danish painter who was involved in the abstract art movement of the early twentieth century. She studied under various influential artists such as Hans Hofmann, László Moholy-Nagy, Alexander Archipenko, and Fernand Léger. She was inspired by their different styles and techniques, and experimented with Neue Sachlichkeit, Constructivism, Cubism, Neo-plasticism, Surrealism and Purism. She also travelled to Italy, Greenland, Egypt, and the Danish West Indies, and created many paintings based on her observations. She exhibited her works at several venues, including the Cercle et Carré group of abstract artists in Paris. She faced some opposition and criticism for her unconventional art, but she also received recognition and awards, such as the Thorvaldsen Medal and the Danish Arts Foundation's Lifetime Honorary Award. She died in Aabenraa in 1986.