The Jute Horse in Randers


The Jute Horse, Østervold, Randers

The sculptor Helen Schou ( 1905-2006) is the creator of this great Jute Horse, which was placed in Randers in November 1969. The impressing bronze horse is 5,5 m tall, 6 m long and weighs 4,5 ton. The casting of the statue was made in Berlin.

She was the only Danish woman who created two big monumental works with a horse as the theme. The second big work was an equestrian statue of Christian X outside the cathedral in Århus. Her interest in using the horse in her art work came natural since she had been a horsewoman since childhood and was skilled in dressage. She not only drew anatomic studies of the horse, but participated in horse-dissections at Landbohøjskolen (Agricultural College in Copenhagen) . She was very interested in European equestrian statues and collected a knowledge about them which was a great advantage to her later. She created several big monumental works but also fine statuettes, mostly horses but also other animals, especially dogs like boxers and dachshounds. She also made several fine portraits and reliefs.

photo december 2008: grethe bachmann