Gustaf Olof (Olle) Hjortzberg (14 November 1872 – 8 March 1959) was a Swedish painter and illustrator. He is remembered above all for contributing to the revival of wall paintings in Swedish churches.

Biography

Uppenbarelsekyrkan, kor (Monica, Augustinus)

Born in Stockholm, Hjortzberg was brought up in

Linköping Linköping () is a city in southern Sweden, with around 105,000 inhabitants as of 2021. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality and the capital of Östergötland County. Linköping is also the episcopal see of the Diocese of Linköping (Church ...

where his father taught him to paint watercolours. In 1886, he moved to Stockholm where he became acquainted with the architect and illustrator

Agi Lindegren August "Agi" Lindegren (December 29, 1858 – 16 November 1927) was a Swedish architect and illustrator. Biography Lindegren was born at Hudiksvall in Gävleborg County, Sweden. He studied at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm ...

who introduced him to ornamental work. From 1892, he studied at 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 ...

. After marrying in 1898, he travelled with his wife to Paris and, in 1899, to Italy where he visited

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

and

Perugia Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...

. He then went to Syria and Palestine where the oriental environment influenced his art. In 1902, he visited London before returning to Italy where he stayed for a time in Rome studying the old masters before travelling to

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...

to see the Byzantine art. In 1905, he returned to Sweden where he devoted himself to Christian art, first designing stained glass windows for Stockholm's

Katarina Church Katarina kyrka (''Church of Catherine'') is one of the major churches in central Stockholm, Sweden. The original building was constructed 1656–1695. It has been rebuilt twice after being destroyed by fires, the second time during the 1990s. ...

and then decorating the ceiling of

Klara Church The Church of Saint Clare or Klara Church ( sv, Klara kyrka) is a church in central Stockholm. Since 1989, the Swedish Evangelical Mission is responsible for its activities. The Church of Saint Clare is located on Klara Västra Kyrkogata in the ...

with scenes from the life of Christ. In 1913, he decorated

Uppenbarelsekyrkan Uppenbarelsekyrkan (''Church of the Revelation'') is a church (building), church in Saltsjöbaden in Nacka Municipality, southeast of Stockholm, Sweden. The church was built in 1910–1913 to designs by Swedish architect Ferdinand Boberg. It was ...

Saltsjöbaden Saltsjöbaden is a locality in Nacka Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 9,491 inhabitants in 2010. It is on the Baltic Sea coast, deep in the Stockholm Archipelago. History Saltsjöbaden () was developed as a resort by Knut Agathon Wa ...

with strongly coloured Christian figures in a style inspired by Byzantine and Assyrian art. He painted other murals in Swedish churches and decorated several altarpieces. Hjortzberg was also active as an illustrator, contributing to the Gustav V Bible (published 1925), creating a poster for the Stockholm Olympic Games (1912) and designing commemorative stamps. He taught at the Academy from 1911 to 1937 and was director until 1941.

Awards

In 1945, Hjortzberg was awarded the

Prince Eugen Medal The Prince Eugen Medal ( sv, Prins Eugen-medaljen) is a medal conferred by the King of Sweden for "outstanding artistic achievement". The medal was established in 1945 by the then King of Sweden, Gustaf V, in connection with the eightieth birthd ...

References

Literature

External links

Hjortzberg's poster for the 1912 Olympic Games
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hjortzberg, Olle 1872 births 1959 deaths 20th-century Swedish painters Swedish male painters Swedish illustrators Artists from Stockholm Recipients of the Prince Eugen Medal 20th-century Swedish male artists