Siegfried Wagner

Siegfried Wagner was born in Hamburg of Danish parents, he grew up in Denmark living with his aunt and uncle, who adopted him in 1892. He studied at the Danish Academy of Arts from 1889-1896. He taught at the Design & Industrial Arts School for Women, where he taught model making, metal forming and chasing. From 1989-1900 he was assistant to J.F. Willumsen at Bing & Grondahl porcelain.

Wagner was represented at the 1900 Paris World Fair. In 1900 he joined Mogens Ballin's workshop, one year before Georg Jensen was also employed by Ballin. Wagner then spent three years at another metal factory, Tvermoes & Abrahamson. From 1905-1913 Wagner was active in the Independent Sculptors (De Frie Billedhugger), then the Independent Exhibition (Den Frie Udstilling), which was a movement of artists breaking free from the, at that time, stiflingly old fashioned Danish Royal Academy of Arts. Johan Rohde was also a leading figure in this movement, which offered an exhibition for modern art, which was rejected by the Academy.

Wagner continued to be exhibited both in Denmark and abroad. His best known work is Lur Blowers (Lurblaeserne) which stands on a lofty pedestal by Anton Rosen, near Copenhagen Town Hall Square.