Erik Werenskiold
Erik Theodor Werenskiold (born February 11, 1855 in Eidskog , † November 23, 1938 in Oslo ) was a Norwegian painter and draftsman . He is best known for his drawings for Asbjørnsen and Moe's collection of Norwegian folk tales and the illustrations he did for Snorre .
life and career
Erik Werenskiold grew up in the fortress town of Kongsvinger , where his father, Captain Frederik Daniel Werenskiold, was the commandant. In 1872 he began his studies, but shortly afterwards began to take drawing lessons on the advice of Adolph Tidemand at the Royal Norwegian Drawing School in Christiania with Julius Middelthun (1820–1886). In the fall of 1875 he traveled to Munich , where he stayed for four years. There he was present at an international exhibition that opened his eyes to French open-air painting and naturalism . Werenskiold moved to Paris in 1881 to study there on his own.
In 1883 Werenskiold returned to Norway. He created several depictions of Norwegian farmers in the countryside, as well as portraits of well-known personalities such as Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Henrik Ibsen . He had already started drawing fairy tales during his stay in Munich. In 1879 he illustrated the Norske folke og huldreeventyr and continued from 1882–1887 together with Theodor Kittelsen (1857–1914) with the three-volume Eventyrbog for Børn . These drawings were summarized in a special edition in 1910. With their peculiar fusion of reality and fantasy, these hit the mood of Norwegian fairy tales. Werenskiold also illustrated a splendid edition of Snorri Sturluson's royal sagas and Jonas Lie's families paa Gilje (1903).
Werenskiold was strongly influenced by naturalism in the 1880s and 1890s, but later moved away from it and was closer to newer directions within Norwegian painting. He created wall decorations with fairytale motifs for Fridtjof Nansen's villa in Lysaker , drawings for lock fittings and much more.
Erik Werenskiold had two sons, Werner (1883–1961) and Dagfin (1892–1977). Werner became a geologist, while Dagfin followed in his father's footsteps and became a painter and sculptor.
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| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Werenskiold, Erik |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Werenskiold, Erik Theodor (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Norwegian painter and draftsman |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 11, 1855 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Eidskog |
| DATE OF DEATH | November 23, 1938 |
| Place of death | Oslo |