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SNEKKERSTEN
1939 - 1940
In the autumn of
1939 Skov left Bornholm and relocated to Snekkersten, a small coastal
town situated about an hour by train north of Copenhagen and just a few miles south of Helsingoer. This
move was motivated in part by Skov’s desire to be closer to Copenhagen
which continued to function as the center of cultural ferment in
Scandinavia, and where many of the architects and designers that later were
to become internationally renowned after the Second World War for what
became known as Danish Design in furniture, silver, lamps, etc., already
were at work developing their ideas and creating their styles during this
time in Copenhagen. Bornholm was of course by no means remote since it is
only eight hours by ferryboat from Copenhagen, yet Skov felt it was
inconvenient for frequent visits and continuous interaction with other
artists, art galleries and friends. And the outbreak of the war in Europe in September made it seem a little too close for comfort to Germany. Snekkersten seemed more convenient and besides
it was also affordable; so in the fall Skov rented a villa with a garden
there, just a few blocks from the beach and a five minute walk from the
train station.
Almost immediately after settling in
Snekkersten, Skov again returned to his research of the pictorial
challenges he had started to explore in La Colle and then expanded in
Aarsdale. However, he also became engaged in several other activities that
competed for his time during this twelve months period, and in fact, during
1939 and 1940 he participated in a total of six exhibitions showing his
earlier paintings. He also traveled extensively in search of a permanent
home where he could live with his family and be self-sustained under the
adverse conditions he anticipated in the eventuality of a war. Yet, he
nevertheless managed to complete between fifteen and twenty oil paintings
and a very unusual linoleum print. The outbreak of war in September 1939
touched Denmark directly only eight months later as it was
invaded; but for Skov it meant making plans for having self sufficiency in
food supply and locating in the country at a safe distance away from any
major town provided; and the following spring he set out to buy a
farmhouse. During the last part of his stay in Snekkersten he therefore did
not have the peace of mind or find much time to paint.
A selection of
Skov’s paintings from La Colle and Aarsdale were exhibited at Alfred
Andersen Gallery in Copenhagen during March 1939 and also at Gallery
Halvorsen in Aarhus the following June. These were Skov’s first one-man
exhibitions in Denmark where he was practically unknown, since he had
travelled so extensively during the previous eight years and until then had
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