Like the exhibition at ARoS, Beatrice is inspired by Italian author Dante Alighieri's literary masterpiece The Divine Comedy (c. 1308-1321), which depicts Dante's journey through the three realms of afterlife: from the torments of Hell through the purification of Purgatory to the bliss of Paradise.

Tovborg's magnificent painting in soft shades of blue, red, pink and purple depicts Dante's first encounter with Beatrice, his great love and muse, who appears as a revelation, beautifully positioned beneath a rainbow on a triumphal chariot drawn by two griffins. Dante's love for Beatrice is a driving force for his journey through hell, purgatory and finally heaven, and she is a symbol of the highest form of love that transcends the material and earthly.

“Alexander Tovborg's exhibition at ARoS, Divine Comedy, abounds in stories, histories, myths, archetypes and symbols from diverse traditions and religions. His monumental paintings draw us in with their bold forms and opulent colours – ritualistic, ornamental, even ecstatic. But beneath this sensory appeal lies a serious philosophical inquiry into the structures that shape belief, faith, identity, morality, even transcendence. Beatrice is one such breathtaking work and I am incredibly grateful that we can add this monumental achievement by another central Danish contemporary artist to the ARoS collection," says ARoS’ Museum Director Rebecca Matthews.

“It means a great deal to me that Beatrice will be at ARoS in the future. I cannot imagine a better home for this work," says Alexander Tovborg.

About Alexander Tovborg
Born in 1983, Tovborg is one of the most distinctive artists of his generation and is best known for his paintings, whose subjects are at once romantic and ultra-modern. In addition to painting, he works in a wide range of media, including sculpture, installation, audio, drawing, printmaking, ceramics and performance. His figurative imagery, repetitive forms and rich colour combinations explore Christianity and the church as an institution through an artistic reworking of religious narratives, myths and symbols.

Divine Comedy and the work Beatrice (2023) are on view at ARoS until 4 January 2026.

Beatrice has been donated to ARoS by a private, anonymous donor. After the exhibition, the work will become part of the ARoS collection and may be included in future exhibitions.

The ARoS collection comprises 8200 works, and with Beatrice, one of Tovborg’s absolute masterpieces, a work of great significance is added to the collection.

Attached press photos can be downloaded via Dropbox and may be used freely when giving due credit.

For further information, please contact:
ARoS Press and Communications
presse@aros.dk
+45 61904883