A-DS Members’ Table with Friends Old and New

VENUE: L’ESCARGOT, 48 GREEK ST., LONDON W1D 

The second of the three planned events  was held at l’Escargot, the legendary restaurant in the heart of Soho, which is run by Brian Clivaz, previously Managing Director of the Arts Club where the Danish Club was once based.  Our invited guest was Hellen Hillyard, Head of Collection, Dulwich Picture Gallery, who gave as an illustrated talk on Anna Ancher, one of the fmost important artists artists from Skagen artists colony in  North Jutand.

She followed the course of Anna’s artistic progress from being the wife of Michael Ancher to becoming a celebrated artist in her own right. We were very privileged to here this talk as it heralded the forthcoming exhibition of her work at the Dulwich picture gallery on November 5th 2025. This marks the first major exhibition in the UK dedicated to Anna Ancher (1859 – 1935), considered to be one the most important and innovative artists in Danish history.

This exhibition brings together recently discovered paintings from Anna Ancher’s home, alongside an extensive body of work made throughout the artist’s long career, the exhibition will feature more than 40 of her paintings, including the artist’s most famous masterpieces on special loan from Art Museums of Skagen. A central figure of the Skagen artist colony, based at the northernmost point of Jutland, Ancher is considered to be the leading female artist in Denmark’s history. She is widely celebrated in her homeland yet remains relatively unknown to British audiences.

This was an outsting lunchtime meeting and the group finally left the retauarant at 4.00pm. A big thank-you to Katie Schwarck and Palle Baggesgaard Pedersen for arranging this meeting; to Helen Hillyard for her facinating talk and to Brian Clivaz and his staff for allowing us to use L’Ecargot and for looking after us so well.

One last thing: if you need further encouragement, Pierre Koffmann, a highly respected figure in the culinary world and best known for his restaurant “La Tante Claire”, which for many years held three Michelin stars, has chosen L’Escargot as one of his favourite spots. We think you’ll agree with him.

Photographs by William Scott