Lea Frederika Ahlborn - schwedische Graveurin

Lea Fredrika Ahlborn (''

née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...

'' Lundgren) (18 February 1826 – 13 November 1897) was a famous

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

artist and medallist. She was a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts ( sv, Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, archite ...

and the first woman to be appointed royal printmaker. The position of royal printmaker was counted as a public office, and thereby made her the first female official or civil servant in Sweden.

Biography

She was the child of engraver and medalist Ludwig Peterssen Lundgren (1789–1853) and his wife the artist Rebecca Johanna Salmson (1797–1861). Her mother was the daughter of German-born sculptor Salm Salmson (1766–1822) and the sister of medal designer Johan Salmson (1798–1859). Lea Ahlborn early decided to follow her father in his profession. In 1849, together with Amalia Lindegren, Jeanette Möller and Agnes Börjesson, she became one of the four women who were given special permission to study art at the

(Swedish: ''Kungliga Akademien för de fria konsterna''), which was then not yet officially open to women students, although female students were accepted with special dispensation. In 1851, she made a study trip to

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 ...

with her academy instructor

Carl Gustaf Qvarnström Carl Gustaf Qvarnström (23 March 1810, Stockholm - 5 March 1867, Stockholm) was a Swedish sculptor and painter. Biography His father, , was a chamber servant (kammartjänare) for Princess Sofia Albertina. At the age of eleven, he entered the ...

(1810–1867) and her brother Pehr Henrik Lundgren (1824–1855), where she trained with the sculptor

Armand Toussaint The French sculptor François Christophe Armand Toussaint was born in Paris on April 7, 1806, and died there on May 24, 1862. The son of a locksmith, Armand Toussaint entered the École des Beaux-Arts in 1827 and studied under David d'Angers. I ...

(1806–1862), sculptor

Jean-Auguste Barre Jean Auguste Barre (25 September 1811 – 5 February 1896) was a French sculptor and medalist. Born in Paris, he was trained by his father Jean-Jacques Barre (1793–1855), a medalist. Barre studied at the École nationale supérieure des B ...

(1811–1896) and her maternal uncle, Johan Salmson. In 1853, she returned to Sweden. That same year her father died, and she functioned as royal printmaker while awaiting the return of her brother, who decided to take over their father's position. However, her brother subsequently died while in Paris. In 1855, she was appointed royal printmaker and elected as a member in the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts. She kept herself updated in everything regarding her work, and was given assignments from the

Swedish Academy The Swedish Academy ( sv, Svenska Akademien), founded in 1786 by King Gustav III of Sweden, Gustav III, is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, Royal Academies of Sweden. Its 18 members, who are elected for life, comprise the highest Swedish lang ...

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( sv, Kungliga Vetenskapsakademien) is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special ...

and the Royal Swedish Pro Patria Society in Stockholm and by Empress Eugenie of France. In 1881, she made the medal portraits for the celebration of the wedding of the future King

Gustav V Gustaf V (Oscar Gustaf Adolf; 16 June 1858 – 29 October 1950) was King of Sweden from 8 December 1907 until his death in 1950. He was the eldest son of King Oscar II of Sweden and Sophia of Nassau, a half-sister of Adolphe, Grand Duke of Luxe ...

and Queen

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. She was hired by the

Government of the United States The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a fede ...

to make the medal of

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

in 1883 for the centenary of the end of the

American War of Independence The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

and in 1892 for the celebration of

Christopher Columbus Christopher Columbus * lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo * es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón * pt, Cristóvão Colombo * ca, Cristòfor (or ) * la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...

' discovery of America. Her sister, Carolina Weidenhayn, (1822–1902), became the first professional female

xylographer Woodcut is a relief printing technique in printmaking. An artist carves an image into the surface of a block of wood—typically with gouges—leaving the printing parts level with the surface while removing the non-printing parts. Areas that ...

, who after studies in Paris 1858–1867, became an instructor (1859–1881) at the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design ( ''Tekniska Skolan'') (now

Konstfack Konstfack, or University of Arts, Crafts and Design, is a university college for higher education in the area of art, crafts and design in Stockholm, Sweden. History Konstfack has had several different names since it was founded in 1844 by the e ...

) in

Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropoli ...

Personal life

Lea Ahlborn married German-born ornamental sculptor Karl Henrik Fredrik Martin Ahlborn (1819–1895). They were the parents of several children including Carl Gustaf Ahlborn (1857–1932) who served as commander of the Karlskrona Coastal Artillery Regiment. She was a member of the women's association

Nya Idun Nya Idun is a Swedish cultural association for women founded in 1885, originally as a female counterpart to Sällskapet Idun ('the Idun Society'). Its aim was to "gather educated women in the Stockholm area for informal gatherings". There was a ...

. In 1892, she was awarded the Swedish Royal Medal ''

Illis Quorum ''Illis quorum'' (''Illis quorum meruere labores'') (English: "For Those Whose Labors Have Deserved It"), is a gold medal awarded for outstanding contributions to Swedish culture, science or society. The award was introduced in 1784 by King Gust ...

'' by King

Oscar II of Sweden Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905. Oscar was the son of King Oscar I and Queen Josephine. He inherited the Swedish and Norweg ...

. She entered retirement on 28 May 1897.

Gallery

File:Sjöhistoriska museet Stockholm, föremålsnummer 20318a.jpg, Relief of King Oscar I (obverse) File:Svenska seglarsällskapets förtjänstmedalj, 20318.jpg, Neptune's wreath for a sailboat (reverse) File:Minnesmedalj över VEGAS Nordostpassage, Ö 3276.jpg, Relief of

Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld (18 November 183212 August 1901) was a Finland-Swedish aristocrat, geologist, mineralogist and Arctic explorer. He was a member of the Fenno-Swedish Nordenskiöld family of scientists and held the title of a friher ...

and

Louis Palander Adolf Arnold Louis Palander af Vega (2 October 1842 – 7 August 1920) was a Swedish naval officer, mostly remembered as the captain on Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld's Vega expedition, the first successful attempt to navi ...

(obverse) File:Minnesmedalj VEGAs fullbordande av Nordostpassagen, 25567.jpg, Vega Expedition of 1878–1880 (reverse) File:Minnesmedalj Gustav V och Victoria, 25567.jpg, King Gustav V and Queen Victoria wedding (obverse) File:Minnesmedalj Gustav V och Victoria, 25567b.jpg, King Gustav V and Queen Victoria wedding (reverse)

References

Other sources

* Österberg, Carin et al. (1990) ''Svenska kvinnor: föregångare, nyskapare'' (Swedish women: Predecessors, pioneers) (Lund: Signum) (Swedish)

External links