Ingeborg Plockross-Irminger

Ingeborg Plockross Irminger (1872-1962) was a Danish artist who is remembered both for her sculptures an fofr her porcelain figurines of animals and humans which she designed working for Bing&Gröndahl.

Born in the Frederiksberg disctrict of Copenhagen on June 18th 1872, Plockross Irminger was the daughter of the merchant Johannes Frederik Plockross (1821-96) and Catherine Frederikke Tietgen (1833-91). After showing interest in modelling from an early age, she began her studies under the sculptor Aksel Hansen before attending the art school run by Emilie Mindt and Marie Luplau. In February 1893 Plockross Irminger was admitted to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, where she studied sculpture under August Saabye until 1899. Then she worked for a number of years in Vilhelm Bissen´s studio. In 1908 she married the painter Valdemar Irminger.

Irminger first exhibited at the Charlottenborg Spring Exhibition in 1897 with "En Spaed", a bronze relief. She continued to exhibit there until 1952, especially from 1904-25. She also occasionally exhibited at the Kfindelige Kunstneres Samfund (Female Artists Society) from 1920 to 1961. Her work was presented at the 1900 Paris Exhibition (for Bing&Gröndahl) , at the Baltic exhibition in Malmö and the 1927 Danish National Exhibition in Brooklyn. Thanks to grants from the Academy she went on study trips to Paris, Germany and Italy.

Under Bissen´s guidance Irminger developed her own style bordering on Naturalishm. Among her principal creations are Drengen og Pinfsvinet (The boy and the Hedgehog, 1899 and bronce 1911), Yngling (Youth, marble 1909) awarded the Academy´s medal of the year. "Un Pige" (marble, 1907) with is reminiscent of Ludvig Brandstrup.

For Bing and Gröndahl she is most remembered creating decorative funeral urns and figurines. She designed them from 1898 until 1925. Special attention to her figurines Mother and child (1902), Children reading (1903) and Young Girl with cat (1911). These figurines became very popular and sold all over the world. Porcelain pieces from Plockross Irminger have been aquired by museums in Berlin and Dresden.

Ingeborg Plockross Irminger died in Copenhagen on October 25th 1962