Frederik Poulsen

Born in 1876, Frederik Poulsen was a Danish classical archaeologist and writer whose work helped make ancient art and archaeology accessible beyond the specialist world. He studied in Copenhagen and went on to build a career around the interpretation of Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art.

In 1910 he joined the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, where he later served as director from 1926 to 1943. Reference works describe him as both a respected scholar and a notably productive author, praised for combining careful stylistic analysis with a clear, readable way of writing about art and its links to literature.

His major books included studies such as Der Orient und die frühgriechische Kunst, Etruscan Tomb Paintings, Greek and Roman Portraits in English Country Houses, and Oraklet i Delfi. He died in 1950, leaving behind a body of work that reflects both deep scholarship and a strong desire to share the ancient world with a wider audience.