Ørnulf Bast (25 January 1907 – 28 October 1974) was a

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

sculptor and painter particularly known for his public monuments.

Background

Ørnulf Bjarne Bast was born in Oslo. His parents were Halsten Andersen Bast Birklund (1870–1952) and Ida Mathilde Kristensen (1870–1960). Bast studied at the

Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts The Norwegian National Academy of Arts ( no, Statens kunstakademi) is a Norwegian Academy offering studies in the area of Fine Art. The Academy currently offers 3-year bachelor and 2-year MA programmes. The "Norwegian National Academy of the Arts" ...

(''Statens kunstakademi'') from 1927-30. He made several study trips, first to France from 1928 to 1929 and later to Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and North Africa, including Egypt, 1930 and 1932, and a new journey to Paris 1937. He was married in 1940 to Lajla von Hanno (1921–2010). During the

occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until the ...

, Bast and his wife supplied a cover-up apartment for the

Norwegian resistance movement The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: *Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled government, ...

, specifically for the staff of the sabotage squad

Aks 13000 Aks 130000 or Aks 13 was a sabotage squad which existed from 1944 to 1945, during parts of the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany in World War II. It was a part of the Norwegian resistance movement, specifically Milorg. "Aks" was short for ''Aksj ...

, for some time. From 1947 until his death in 1974, Bast had a permanent residence in the summer at Fuglevik ved Rakke in

Brunlanes Brunlanes is a parish and former municipality within Larvik municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It was annexed by Larvik on January 1, 1988. The administrative centre of the municipality was located in the adjacent villages of Nevlunghavn ...

, south of

Larvik Larvik () is a List of cities in Norway, town and Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark Counties of Norway, county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. The municipality ...

, where he also had his studio. Ørnulf Bast was awarded the King's Medal of Merit (''Kongens fortjenstmedalje'') in gold.

Career

He completed a wide range of public memorials and decorations in a quiet style, characterized by a French-dominated class flight of sculptural tradition. Of note are ''Borregaard-monumentet '' in

Sarpsborg Sarpsborg ( or ), historically Borg, is a city and municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg. Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neigh ...

(1937), '' St. Hallvards brønn'' in Bragernes square in

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken (county), Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and village ...

(1940–1952), ''Tvillingsøstrene'' (1947–1949) in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

, ''Evig liv'' (1948–1949) at Sehesteds plass in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

and ''Ung kvinne'' (1946–47) at St. Hanshaugen Park in

, and ''Kongens Nei'' (1949–50) in

Elverum is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Østerdalen. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Elverum. Other settlements in the municipality include Heradsbygd, Sørskog ...

. Among his works were the identical bronze statues titles '' The Norwegian Lady'' dedicated in 1962, which were placed in

Moss, Norway is a coastal town and a municipality in Viken county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt) and City in 1720. Th ...

and

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

facing each other across the ocean. The statues were modeled after the

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...

of the Norwegian bark ''Dictator'', home ported in Moss, which foundered and sank in the

Graveyard of the Atlantic Graveyard of the Atlantic is a nickname for the treacherous waters and area of numerous shipwrecks off the Outer Banks The Outer Banks (frequently abbreviated OBX) are a string of barrier islands and spits off the coast of North Carolina and ...

off the coast of Virginia Beach on 27–28 March 1891. Despite substantial lifesaving efforts from shore, seven persons died, including the captain's pregnant wife and four-year-old son. The new statues re-established old ties between the two communities, and in 1974, they became

sister cities A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inter ...

. Annual events are held at the Bast statues.''The Norwegian Lady''
/ref>

Selected works

*''Bronseløver'', 1930–31 *''Borregaard-monumentet'', 1936–39 *''St. Hallvards brønn'', 1940–52 *''Ung kvinne'', 1946–47 *''Tvillingsøstrene'', 1947–49 *''Evig liv'' 1947–49 *''Stavernpiken'', 1948–49 *''Kongens Nei'', 1949–50 *''Fole'', 1953, *''

Kristian Birkeland Kristian Olaf Bernhard Birkeland (13 December 1867 – 15 June 1917) was a Norwegian scientist. He is best remembered for his theories of atmospheric electric currents that elucidated the nature of the aurora borealis. In order to fund his resea ...

'', 1960 *''The Norwegian Lady'', 1962 *''

Herman Wildenvey Herman Wildenvey (20 July 1885 – 27 September 1959), born Herman Theodor Portaas, was one of the most prominent Norwegian poets of the twentieth century. During his lifetime he published 44 books of his own poetry, in addition to translati ...

'', 1965–67 *''Metamorfose av Nike fra Samothrake'', 1966–67 *''Skogsarbeideren'', 1967–68 *''

Haakon VII Haakon VII (; born Prince Carl of Denmark; 3 August 187221 September 1957) was the King of Norway from November 1905 until his death in September 1957. Originally a Danish prince, he was born in Copenhagen as the son of the future Frederick VI ...

'', 1969 *''

Einar Skjæraasen Einar Skjæraasen (23 July 1900 – 18 March 1966) was a Norwegian author and poet, a longtime resident of Trysil. He was a parliamentary ballot candidate for the Liberal Party from the constituency Oslo in 1957. Bibliography *Reflekser (193 ...

-monument'', 1970 *''Pike med fugl'', 1977

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bast, Oernulf 1907 births 1974 deaths Norwegian resistance members 20th-century Norwegian painters 20th-century Norwegian sculptors Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold