Explore the 1821–22 Copenhagen Mythological Competition of this artwork.
In 1820, Jonas Collin, supported by Johan Bülow, fostered the idea of an artistic competition with a Nordic theme. On 21 May 1821, it was announced via advertisements in several Copenhagen newspapers. The competition  was also promoted by the Scandinavian Literature Society. It comprised three categories: sketches for paintings, relief compositions and drawings of individual figures. The deadline for participation in the competition was 1 May 1822 and the first prize in each category was 200 species daler. The jury consisted of Jonas Collin, historian Peter Erasmus Müller, writer Adam Oehlenschläger, architects Christian Frederik Hansen and Gustav Friedrich Hetsch, and painters Christian August Lorentzen and C. W. Eckersberg.Hermann Ernst Freund won the first prize in the relief composition category for his relief of Mimir and Balder. Freund knew Collin from the Royal Mint. in a letter from October 1820, Collin had already prior to the competition suggested Freund create some works with inspiration from Norse mythology. In connection with the competition, he had also sent him Finnur Magnússon's translation of the Elder Edda and Oehlenschläger's Nordens Guder. The two other categories were won by J. L. Lund and Andreas Ludvig Koop.
Copenhagen C. W. Eckersberg Gustav Friedrich Hetsch Adam Oehlenschläger Peter Erasmus Müller Finnur Magnússon Elder Edda Balder Royal Mint Jonas Collin Mimir Andreas Ludvig Koop Norse mythology Hermann Ernst Freund species daler Christian Frederik Hansen J. L. Lund Johan Bülow Christian August Lorentzen