Stoneware Lion on Odense City Hall
The Stoneware Lion is a ceramic sculpture at Odense City Hall, created by artist Henrik Starcke in 1952. If you look up while passing the City Hall towards Skomagerstræde, you may spot the colourful lion that forms part of the building's decorative design.
A lion created for the City Hall
The Stoneware Lion was created by Henrik Starcke (1899-1973), who studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen before making sculpture his primary artistic medium. Completed in 1952, the work is made of polychrome stoneware, giving it a distinctive palette of colours that sets it apart from more traditional lion sculptures in stone or bronze.
Starcke drew inspiration from both ancient and medieval art through travels in Southern Europe and the Middle East. That interest in form and materials is clearly visible in the Stoneware Lion.
Look up when passing the City Hall
So where can you find Starcke's Stoneware Lion, and how can you best experience it? The sculpture is mounted on the City Hall building facing what is now Skomagerstræde. The best way to see it is to step back a few paces and look up at the façade. From this angle, it becomes clear that the work was designed as an integral part of the architecture rather than as a free-standing sculpture.
A closer look reveals the rich surface textures and subtle variations in colour within the stoneware. Compared with the imposing façade of the City Hall, the sculpture is relatively small, which also makes it easy to pass by without noticing.
Part of Odense's public art heritage
The Stoneware Lion is one of many artworks that can be discovered in Odense's streets and public squares. If you'd like to explore more sculptures and public art, you'll find plenty of other works throughout the city.
Last updated by:VisitOdensejmjen@odense.dk
