Hans Olaf Halvor Heyerdahl (8 July 1857 – 10 October 1913) was a Norwegian Realist painter. His work was characterized by naturalism and focused largely on portraits and landscape paintings.

Biography

Heyerdahl was born in

Smedjebacken Smedjebacken is a locality and the seat of Smedjebacken Municipality, Dalarna County, Sweden, with 5,100 inhabitants in 2010. Geographically, the town Smedjebacken is situated by the lake Barken, with an area of , which in turn belongs to the Ko ...

, Sweden. He was the son of and Hilda Margretha Haak (1834–1917). His father was a prominent engineer and architect. In 1859, the family moved to

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 ...

, where his father took up the joint posts of city engineer and fire chief. Heyerdahl was educated in Christiania (now Oslo), Munich (1874–1877) and Paris (1878–1880). He began his education with the intent of following in his father's footsteps, but soon discovered that he was more attracted to drawing and art. In 1873, he entered the

Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry The National College of Art and Design ( no, Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole) was established in 1818. In 1996 the National College of Art and Design became part of Oslo National Academy of the Arts The Oslo National Academy of the A ...

and studied under Peder Cappelen Thurmann, a landscape artist trained in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

. From 1874 until 1877, he was enrolled at the

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (german: Akademie der Bildenden Künste München, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, ...

, where his professors were Wilhelm Lindenschmit and

Ludwig von Löfftz Ludwig von Löfftz (21 June 1845 – 3 December 1910) was a German genre and landscape painter. Biography He was born at Darmstadt. He was a pupil of August von Kreling and Karl Raupp at Nuremberg, then of Wilhelm von Diez at the Academy of F ...

, who encouraged him to switch from landscapes to historical painting and portraits. From 1878 to 1882, he lived in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

and won a third-place Medal at the Exposition Universelle for his painting ''Adam og Eva drives ut av Paradiset''. Finished in 1877 under the guidance of Wilhelm Lindenschmit, it featured the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the

Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...

. He made his début at the

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

in 1879 with a portrait of the composer

Johan Svendsen Johan Severin Svendsen (30 September 184014 June 1911) was a Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist. Born in Christiania (now Oslo), Norway, he lived most his life in Copenhagen, Denmark. Svendsen's output includes two symphonies, a violin ...

. While in Paris, he came under the influence of

Léon Bonnat Léon Joseph Florentin Bonnat (20 June 1833 – 8 September 1922) was a French painter, Grand Officer of the Légion d'honneur and professor at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. Early life Bonnat was born in Bayonne, but from 1846 to 1853 he lived in M ...

and took up painting outdoors (''

En plein air ''En plein air'' (; French for 'outdoors'), or ''plein air'' painting, is the act of painting outdoors. This method contrasts with studio painting or academic rules that might create a predetermined look. The theory of 'En plein air' painting ...

''). In 1881, his work ''Det døende barn'' won the Grand Prix du Florence at the Salon, which enabled him to spend two years studying in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. After finishing his studies, he returned to Norway and settled in Christiania, where he gave private art lessons to support his studio. He started a private painting school together with

Christian Krohg Christian Krohg (13 August 1852 – 16 October 1925) was a Norwegian naturalist painter, illustrator, author and journalist. Krohg was inspired by the realism art movement and often chose motifs from everyday life. He was the director and s ...

and

Erik Werenskiold Erik Theodor Werenskiold (11 February 1855 – 23 November 1938) was a Norwegian painter and illustrator. He is especially known for his drawings for the Asbjørnsen and Moe collection of ''Norske Folkeeventyr'', and his illustrations for t ...

. His summers were spent painting in

Åsgårdstrand Åsgårdstrand is a small port town in Horten municipality, Vestfold, Norway. It is also the name of a former independent municipality and a center of trade. The town is situated 10 km south of Horten, 10 km north of Tønsberg and 100&n ...

, where he inspired

Edvard Munch Edvard Munch ( , ; 12 December 1863 – 23 January 1944) was a Norwegian painter. His best known work, ''The Scream'' (1893), has become one of Western art's most iconic images. His childhood was overshadowed by illness, bereavement and the dr ...

, who was just beginning his career. In addition to his landscapes, he did scenes from Norwegian history and several portraits of notable people, including

Frits Thaulow Frits Thaulow (20 October 1847 – 5 November 1906) was a Norwegian Impressionist painter, best known for his naturalistic depictions of landscape. Biography Johan Frederik Thaulow was born in Christiania, the son of a wealthy chemist, Haral ...

(1885),

Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, perspective a ...

(1893) and

Henrik Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright and theatre director. As one of the founders of modernism in theatre, Ibsen is often referred to as "the father of realism" and one of the most influential playw ...

(1894). After 1900, he spent another six years in Paris, where his paintings took on a more melancholy tone. In 1904, he was named a Knight in the Order of St. Olav. He died during 1913 in Oslo. The largest publicly available collection of Heyerdahl's pictures can be found in the Heyerdahl room at the

Drammen Museum Gulskogen Manor ( no, Gulskogen gård) is a manor house and landscape park which forms part of Drammen Museum in Drammen in Viken county, Norway. The manor house is filled with historic furnishings and reproduction works of art. Background D ...

. Several of his more important works can also be seen in the

National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

(''Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design'') in Oslo.

Selected works

*''Kunstnerviften'' (Artifacts, 1898) *''Adam og Eva drives ut av Paradiset'' (Adam and Eve Driven from Paradise, 1877) *''Det døende barn'' (, The Dying Child, 1889) *''Maleren Frits Thaulow'' (The Painter

, c.1885) *''Professor

Ernst Sars Johan Ernst Welhaven Sars (11 October 1835 – 27 January 1917) was a Norwegian professor, historian, author and editor. His main work was ''Udsigt over den norske Historie'', four volumes issued from 1873 to 1891. He co-edited the magazines ...

'' (1886) *''Redaktør Ola Thommessen'' (The Editor

Ola Thommessen Ola Thommessen (23 September 1851 – 10 February 1942) was a Norwegian newspaper editor. He was the long-time editor of ''Verdens Gang'' and ''Tidens Tegn''. Early and personal life Olaus Anthon Thommessen Holtan was born in Borre as the s ...

, 1888) *''Ved vinduet'' ( By the Window, 1881) *''Svart-Anna'' (Black-Anna, c.1887) *''Den danske maler Frants Henningsen'' (The Danish Painter

Frants Henningsen Frants Peter Diderik Henningsen (22 June 1850, Copenhagen – 20 March 1908, Copenhagen) was a Danish painter, illustrator and professor. His paintings depict unfortunate occurrences in the lives of middle-class people living in Copenhagen during ...

, c.1881) *''Den gamle mølle'' (The Old Mill, 1884) *''Dikteren Henrik Ibsen'' (The Writer

, ca. 1893) *''Dobbeltportrett, kopi etter Bellini'' (Double Portrait after Bellini, 1878-1879) *''Forfatteren Gunnar Heiberg'' (The Author

Gunnar Heiberg Gunnar Edvard Rode Heiberg (18 November 1857 – 22 February 1929) was a Norway, Norwegian poet, playwright, journalist and theatre critic. Personal life He was born in Oslo, Christiania a son of judge Edvard Omsen Heiberg (1829–1884) and his w ...

, 1901) *''Fra Åsgårdstrand'' (From

, ca. 1887) *''Gammel fisker'' (Old Fisherman, 1891) *''Italienerpike'' (Italian Clergyman, ca. 1880) *''Karen Marie Bætzmann, née Fougner'' (c.1880)

Gallery

File:HeyerdahlAttheWindow1881.jpg, '' At the Window'' (1881) File:Hans Heyerdahl - The penitent Mary Magdalene - 1892.jpg, ''Maria Magdalena'' (1882) File:Hans heyerdahl fiskergutten 1886.jpg, ''Fisher Boy'' (1886) File:Heyerdahl25.JPG, ''Girl with Currants'' (c.1890) File:Hans Heyerdahl (1857-1913) The Girl with Linen Hair.jpg, ''The Girl with Linen Hair'' (c.1890) File:Heyerdahl idyll 1906.jpg, ''An Idyll'' (1906)

References

External links

ArtNet: More works by HeyerdahlHans Heyerdahl website by Leif Osvold
Detailed biography and a complete list of his works.
Hans Heyerdahl by Åsmund Thorkildsen
@ the

Drammen Museum of Art and Cultural History Drammen Museum of Art and Cultural History (''Drammens Museum for kunst og kulturhistorie'') is a museum in Drammen in Viken (county), Viken county, Norway. Background Drammen Museum of Art and Cultural History operates as a foundation create ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heyerdahl, Hans 1857 births 1913 deaths People from Drammen Norwegian landscape painters Norwegian portrait painters Norwegian realist painters Oslo National Academy of the Arts alumni Academy of Fine Arts, Munich alumni Norwegian expatriates in Germany Norwegian expatriates in France 19th-century Norwegian painters 20th-century Norwegian painters Norwegian male painters 19th-century Norwegian male artists 20th-century Norwegian male artists

Biography

Selected works

Gallery

References

Further reading

External links