Jappe Jacob Nilssen (January 25, 1870 – 1931) 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 the ...

writer and art historian. Nilssen was born 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 ...

. He published two novels and a number of novellas, but is mainly known for his many contributions as an art critic to the newspaper ''

Dagbladet ''Dagbladet'' (lit.: ''The Daily Magazine'') is one of Norway's largest newspapers and is published in the tabloid format. It has 1,400,000 daily readers on mobile, web and paper. Traditionally ''Dagbladet'' is considered the main liberal newsp ...

''. Nilssen was employed by ''Dagbladet'' from 1908 until his death. He was close friends with

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 ...

Oda Krohg Oda Krohg (born Othilia Pauline Christine Lasson; 11 June 1860 – 19 October 1935) was a Norwegian painter, and the wife of her teacher and colleague Christian Krohg. Biography She was the second daughter of public attorney Christian ...

, and

Hans Jæger Hans Henrik Jæger (2 September 1854, Drammen, Norway – 8 February 1910, Oslo) was a Norwegian writer, philosopher and anarchist political activist who was part of the Oslo (then Kristiania)-based bohemian group known as the Kristiania Bohem ...

, and he is considered one of the "

Kristiania Bohemians The Kristiania Bohemians ( no, Kristiania-bohemen) were a political and cultural movement in the 1880s centered in Kristiania (now Oslo). Hans Jæger was the central figure in the movement, and other prominent members included Christian Krohg, O ...

." Nilssen was the brother-in-law of the painter

Thorolf Holmboe Thorolf Holmboe (10 May 18668 March 1935) was a Norwegian painter, illustrator and designer. Biography He was born in Vefsn, in Nordland county, Norway as the oldest son of Othar Ervigius Holmboe and his wife Sofie Birgitte Andrea Hall. He had o ...

.Carey, Frances. 1997. ''Modern Scandinavian Prints''. London: Published for the Trustees of the British Museum by British Museum Press, p. 67. Edvard Munch painted a portrait of Nilssen in 1909, and he also created the painting ''The Physician Lucien Dedichen and Jappe Nilssen'' in 1925–1926. Both paintings are owned by the Oslo Municipal Art Collection. A drawing by Munch shows Nilssen together with

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 ...

at the Grand Cafe. The painter

Ludvig Karsten Ludvig Karsten (8 May 1876 – 19 October 1926) was a Norwegian painter. He was a neo-impressionist influenced by Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse and contemporary French painting. He first participated at the Autumn exhibition in Kristiania in 1 ...

also created a portrait of Nilssen in 1915. In 1891, Nilssen is said to have had an affair with Oda Krohg, who was ten years older than him and married to

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 ...

. Edvard Munch wrote about this unhappy love affair, and it also provided the background for his 1891 painting '' Melancholy''. Nilssen's first novel, ''Nemesis'', describes the young writer Nils Falk, who has an unhappy love affair with a married woman ten years older than him. In 1909, Jappe Nilssen and the director of the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director o ...

Jens Thiis Jens Thiis (12 May 1870 – 27 June 1942) was a Norwegian art historian, conservator and a prominent museum director. He was conservator at the Nordenfjeld Industrial Arts Museum (''Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustrimuseum'') in Trondheim beginnin ...

, arranged an exhibition of 100 paintings and 200 sheets of graphics by Munch. The exhibition was a great success and was very important for Munch's general recognition. At the time, Munch had been admitted to a clinic in Copenhagen following a nervous breakdown.

Works

* ''Nemesis'' (Copenhagen: Gyldendalske bokhandlerforlag, 1896), novel * ''Solefald'' (Sunset; Kristiania: Aschehoug, 1903), novel * ''Kun én gang vaar: fortælling'' (Only Once There Was: A Story; Kristiania: Aschehoug, 1904), novella * ''Den gamle historie og andre fortællinger'' (The Old Tale and Other Stories; Kristiania, 1905), collection of novellas * ''Faderglæde, og andre fortællinger'' (A Father's Joy and Other Stories; Kristiania: Aschehoug, 1911), collection of novellas * ''Belgisk kunst i Norge'' (Belgian Art in Norway; Kristiania: Mittet & Co kunstforlag, 1918), folder of loose sheets

Works

References

Further reading