Johannes Kragh

Johannes Kragh was a Danish painter and sculptor, who worked with murals, stained glass, watercolor, oil painting, and sculpture. He created several church decorations, including those at the Ødis Church in Kolding (1895, 1922) and the Kirkby Church on Funen (starting 1921), and also created many portrait busts. In addition to painting he worked in sculpture, producing a variety of materials and techniques. Occasionally a writer, Kragh had a short period in 1926 as President of the Selskabet for Dekorativ Kunst (Company for Decorative Arts).

Kragh took painting lessons from 1883 before studying at the art academy since 1887. Then he made an apprenticeship as a painter. From 1899 he was also trained as a sculptor and went to Roma in the following year to become a student of Victor Segoffin. Kragh had a great influence on the ecclesiastical art of Denmark, especially in the field of stained glass. His initially realistic and Art Nouveau influenced paintings later showed impressionistic tendencies. As a sculptor, he created naturalistic busts, figurine and animal statuettes, mostly made of bronze and fired clay, but also mosaics. His wife Ellen, née Becker, was a physiotherapist; maybe one reason why he was concerned with sporting issues. At least Sports Wrestling and Runners’ Reward were tin plaques according to the catalog.