Kleis' Kunsthandel
Kleis' Kunsthandel was a Copenhagen commercial art gallery, framing and gilding business that operated from 1831 to 1988.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Kleis' Kunsthandel was a Copenhagen-based commercial art gallery, frame shop, and gilder's business founded in 1831 by Jeppe Jensen Kleis. The enterprise began in Vesterbro as a glazier's and frame-making workshop and later expanded into the sale and exhibition of art. Its best-known period came under Valdemar Kleis, who took over the business from his father in 1868 and developed it into one of Copenhagen's leading art dealers. Valdemar broadened the firm's services by adding specialist gilding for artistically carved picture frames. From 1878, the principal premises were at Vesterbrogade 58, where the business remained for almost a century. Kleis also operated a branch at Østergade 4 in central Copenhagen; a later Strøget branch became associated with his son Hjalmar Kleis and subsequently with Vagn Aage Axelsen. The firm played a notable role in Copenhagen's exhibition culture. On 27 March 1891 it hosted the first exhibition of Den Frie Udstilling, an independent artists' association established outside the established exhibition system. The gallery also provided an early exhibition opportunity for Svend Hammershøi in 1893. That same year, with assistance from Mogens Ballin, Kleis organized an ambitious presentation of young French artists, including representatives associated with the avant-garde and post-impressionist movements such as Édouard Vuillard, Pierre Bonnard, Paul Sérusier, Maurice Denis, Émile Bernard, and Félix Vallotton. The exhibition required the business to guarantee DKK 1,000 in sales and cover freight, but it was commercially unsuccessful, partly because the works shipped to Copenhagen were unusually small. After Valdemar Kleis died in 1918, the firm passed to his son Georg Kleis. The premises continued to function as a venue for modern and international art, including the 1918 presentation of Herwarth Walden's Der Sturm exhibition, titled 'International Kunst. Ekspressionister og kubister'. The business therefore combined traditional craft services with an evolving role as an art dealer and exhibition host. The Vesterbrogade branch closed after Georg Kleis's death in 1972. The building was destroyed by fire on 17 October 1973 and later reconstructed in a different design. The Strøget operation had by then been ceded to Vagn Aage Axelsen and focused on classical art. Kleis' Kunsthandel ultimately closed in 1988. Its historical importance rests on its long continuity, its connection with Copenhagen's framing and gilding trades, and its contribution to the public presentation of independent Danish and international modern art.
History
Kleis' Kunsthandel originated in 1831 when Jeppe Jensen Kleis established a glazier's business and frame shop in Copenhagen's Vesterbro district. The founder's early biography is not well documented, although census records place his family outside Copenhagen's Western City Gate. The enterprise initially served practical architectural and framing needs rather than operating solely as an art gallery. In 1868, Jeppe Jensen Kleis transferred the business to his son Valdemar Kleis. Under Valdemar's management, the company expanded beyond glazing and frame making. It developed a gilding operation specializing in the finishing of artistically carved picture frames, and it increasingly operated as a commercial dealer and exhibition venue. From 1878 the principal address was Vesterbrogade 58, a property associated with the neighboring Wegener House at number 60. Valdemar also opened a branch at Østergade 4 in central Copenhagen and owned both properties. The gallery became involved in important developments in Danish exhibition history. On 27 March 1891 it hosted the first Den Frie Udstilling, an independent exhibition initiative that offered artists an alternative to the official exhibition institutions. In 1893, Svend Hammershøi made his debut as an artist at an exhibition held at the premises. The same year, Valdemar organized a presentation of young French artists with assistance from Mogens Ballin. The participants included artists linked to French modernism, among them Vuillard, Bonnard, Sérusier, Maurice Denis, Émile Bernard, and Vallotton. Kleis assumed a DKK 1,000 sales guarantee and paid the freight, but the exhibition failed commercially. Contemporary criticism attributed part of the weak response to the very small scale of many of the works. Valdemar Kleis died in 1918, after which the firm passed to his son Georg Kleis. Another son, the sculptor Hjalmar Kleis, managed a branch on Strøget. During Georg's period the gallery continued to show art beyond the traditional Danish market. In 1918 it hosted Herwarth Walden's Der Sturm presentation 'International Kunst. Ekspressionister og kubister', bringing expressionist and cubist work into the firm's exhibition history. The Vesterbrogade business remained at number 58 until its closure after Georg Kleis's death in 1972. The former building was destroyed by fire on 17 October 1973 and later reconstructed according to a different design. The Strøget branch was eventually ceded to Vagn Aage Axelsen, under whose operation it specialized in classical art. The wider Kleis' Kunsthandel business closed in 1988. Its legacy is that of a multigenerational Copenhagen art enterprise that linked craft production, conservation-related framing, gallery retail, and the exhibition of emerging and international artists.
- 1988
Business closes
[1]Kleis' Kunsthandel ceased operations.
- 1972
Vesterbrogade branch closes
[1]The principal branch closed after the death of Georg Kleis.
- 1918
Ownership passes to Georg Kleis
[1]Following Valdemar Kleis's death, the enterprise was handed to his son Georg Kleis.
- 1918
Der Sturm exhibition hosted
[1]The gallery hosted Herwarth Walden's 'International Kunst. Ekspressionister og kubister'.
- 1893
Svend Hammershøi exhibition debut
[1]Svend Hammershøi made his debut as an artist in an exhibition at the gallery.
- 1893
French modern-art exhibition organized
[1]The gallery presented young French artists with assistance from Mogens Ballin, although the exhibition did not achieve commercial success.
- 1891
First Den Frie Udstilling hosted
[1]Kleis' Kunsthandel hosted the first exhibition of the independent Den Frie Udstilling on 27 March.
- 1878
Permanent Vesterbrogade address established
[1]The business became based at Vesterbrogade 58, its principal location until 1972.
- 1868
Valdemar Kleis takes over
[1]The founder transferred the company to his son Valdemar Kleis, who later expanded it into a leading Copenhagen art dealer.
- 1831
Business founded in Vesterbro
[1]Jeppe Jensen Kleis established a glazier's business and frame shop in Copenhagen's Vesterbro district.
Products and positioning
A long-established Copenhagen art dealer that combined gallery retail with specialist framing and gilding, while also serving as an exhibition venue for independent Danish artists and international modern art.
Art retail
Commercial art dealing
The business sold works of art through its Copenhagen premises and branches. Its program encompassed Danish artists as well as international modern and classical art, making the firm both a retailer and a mediator between artists, exhibitions, and collectors.
Framing services · 1831
Custom picture framing
Kleis' Kunsthandel began as a frame shop and retained framing as a core activity. The firm produced and supplied frames for artworks, complementing its gallery and art-dealing operations.
Gilding and decorative craft · 1868
Gilded carved frames
Under Valdemar Kleis, the company added a gilding business specializing in artistically carved frames. This craft specialization distinguished the enterprise from a conventional art retailer and connected it to the decorative and conservation-related trades.
Art retail
Classical art
The later Strøget branch, after being ceded to Vagn Aage Axelsen, specialized in classical art. The branch represented a more traditional market orientation than the gallery's earlier exhibitions of modern and avant-garde work.
Marketing campaigns
- 1918Der Sturm: International Art, Expressionists and Cubists
Denmark
The gallery hosted Herwarth Walden's Der Sturm exhibition devoted to international expressionist and cubist art.
Outcome. The event documented the firm's continuing engagement with international avant-garde art.
- 1893Young French Artists Exhibition
Denmark
With assistance from Mogens Ballin, the firm mounted an exhibition of young French artists associated with modernist currents.
Outcome. The exhibition was not commercially successful; the small size of the shipped works was cited as one factor.
- 1891First Den Frie Udstilling
Denmark
Kleis' Kunsthandel hosted the inaugural exhibition of Den Frie Udstilling, giving the independent artists' association a Copenhagen venue outside the established exhibition system.
Outcome. The event established the gallery as an important venue for independent Danish exhibition activity.
Brand decisions
1972
Closure of the Vesterbrogade branchOtherBackground
The principal branch had operated at Vesterbrogade 58 since 1878 and was associated with the Kleis family's main business.
Action taken
The Vesterbrogade branch closed after Georg Kleis's death.
Aftermath
The former building was destroyed by fire in 1973 and later rebuilt in a different design; the Strøget branch continued separately for a period.
1918
Transfer of the business to Georg KleisOtherBackground
Valdemar Kleis died in 1918 after managing the business during its expansion into a leading Copenhagen art dealership.
Action taken
Ownership and management passed to his son Georg Kleis, while Hjalmar Kleis managed a Strøget branch.
Aftermath
The family business continued its gallery and art-dealing activities into the twentieth century.
1893
Guarantee and freight commitment for the French exhibitionOtherBackground
Kleis organized an exhibition of young French artists with assistance from Mogens Ballin and undertook financial and logistical commitments to bring the works to Copenhagen.
Action taken
The firm guaranteed DKK 1,000 in sales and paid the freight for the exhibition.
Aftermath
The exhibition was commercially unsuccessful, partly because many of the works were unusually small.
Sales guarantee. DKK 1,000 guarantee (1893 exhibition)
Sources1 sources
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