Karen Margrete Svensson (1908–1998) was a Danish
illustrator who contributed drawings to Danish newspapers and magazines, especially ''
Politiken
''Politiken'' is a leading Danish daily broadsheet newspaper, published by JP/Politikens Hus in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was founded in 1884 and played a role in the formation of the Danish Social Liberal Party. Since 1970 it has been indepe ...
''. Her illustrated books include those by
Lise Nørgaard
Lise Nørgaard (born Elise Jensen; 14 June 1917 – 1 January 2023) was a Danish journalist and writer known for her precise and often humorous portrayals of Danish cultural life. Nørgaard wrote novels, compilations of essays and short stories. ...
and
Johannes Møllehave. Svensson also created posters for Copenhagen's
Tivoli and designed decorative plates and spoons for
Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory ( da, Den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. It i ...
.
Early life
Born in
Sønderborg
(; german: Sonderburg ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 27,766 (1 January 2022),[First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...]
, Svensson lived with her mother and siblings in
Flensburg while her father was called up to join the German forces. In 1920, the family settled in
Haderslev
Haderslev (; german: Hadersleben ) is a Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 22,011 (1 January 2022).[Harald Slott-Møller
Harald Slott-Møller (17 August 1864 – 20 October 1937) was a Danish painter and ceramist. Together with his wife, the painter Agnes Slott-Møller, he was a founding member of Den Frie Udstilling (The Free Exhibition).
Early life
Born in Cope ...]
, took a study trip to Paris and attended the
Berlin Academy from 1930 to 1933.
[
]
Career
Svensson first exhibited at the 1937 Sønderjysk Udstilling (Southern Jutland Exhibition in Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Charlottenborg, also exhibiting there at the autumn show the following year. Creating mainly drawings of children, she presented her work at various exhibitions until the mid-1940s. After the war, she began illustrating children's books, including Margit Wohlin's ''Kan Familien reddes'' (1946), Else Sigfred-Pedersen's ''Barnet under mit Hjerte'' (1947), and Pearl S. Buck
Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973) was an American writer and novelist. She is best known for ''The Good Earth'' a bestselling novel in the United States in 1931 and 1932 and won the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, Pulitze ...
's ''Børnene og Verden'' (1947). She soon began to contribute illustrations to newspapers and magazines, including ''Dagens Nyheder'', ''Berlingske Tidende
''Berlingske'', previously known as ''Berlingske Tidende'' (, ''Berling's Times''), is a Danish national daily newspaper based in Copenhagen. It is considered a newspaper of record for Denmark. First published on 3 January 1749,
''Berlingske'' ...
'' and above all ''Politiken'' where she was employed from 1950 to 1971.[
From 1945, her works became increasingly colourful, often inspired by bible stories and fairy tales. Her later works were exhibited at Danske bladtegnere (1980), Kunstnere for fred (1983) and the exhibitions of the Women's Artists Association (]Kvindelige Kunstneres Samfund
Kvindelige Kunstneres Samfund (KKS) or Society of Female Artists is a Danish organization which strives to enable women to work as professional artists on equal terms with their male counterparts. KKS was founded by the painters Marie Henriques a ...
) in 1976 and 1986. Her last work was the richly illustrated picture book ''Da Prosper Alpanus og Rosabelle Verde tryllede om kap'' (1987).[
Kamma Svensson died in Copenhagen on 11 February 1988.][
]
References
External links
Examples of Svensson's work from MutualArt
{{DEFAULTSORT:Svensson, Kamma
1908 births
1988 deaths
People from Sønderborg Municipality
20th-century Danish illustrators
Danish women illustrators
20th-century Danish artists