Danish silversmith Georg Jensen (1866 - 1934) served his apprenticeship under Holm of Svartgade, Copenhagen and became a journeyman in 1884, at the same time taking classes in art, modelling and engraving. From 1897 he studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and briefly worked for Bing & Grondahl
In the 1890s, he came under the influence of Mogens Ballin and spent some time in his workshop in 1899. In 1900, he won a scholarship which took him to Italy and France. On his return, he established a small porcelain factory with Joachim Petersen but this proved unsuccessful and he opened his first workshop in 1904 producing a small selection of silver jewellery.
He specialised in semi-precious stones and enamelware set in silver, and his designs for brooches, buckles and pendants were inspired by nature and the ideals of the Art Nouveau and Arts & Crafts movement.
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1907, he began collaborating with the painter Johan Rohde in translating the forms of post-Impressionist painting into the medium of silver. The cutlery and table silver for which he is renown today belong to the latter part of his life (1914-1935). The earliest pieces by Jensen, from 1908 to 1910, when he won a gold medal for silverware at the Brussels International Exhibition, are much sought after.
After his death, the George Jensen brand continued, assisted by a group of talented designers he had recruited and nurtured. As one of the most talented, original, and influential silversmiths of the 20th century, Georg Jensen silver designs live on today as an international luxury brand with 94 fully owned stores and over 1200 employees.
In 2012 the Georg Jensen company was purchased by venture company Investcorp for $US140 million.
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