Olivia Holm-Møller (1875–1970) was a Danish painter and sculptor. Her richly coloured, almost abstract paintings provide a bridge between the early Danish

Modernism Modernism was an early 20th-century movement in literature, visual arts, and music that emphasized experimentation, abstraction, and Subjectivity and objectivity (philosophy), subjective experience. Philosophy, politics, architecture, and soc ...

of the 1910s and the

Cobra COBRA or Cobra, often stylized as CoBrA, was a European avant-garde art group active from 1948 to 1951. The name was coined in 1948 by Christian Dotremont from the initials of the members' home countries' capital cities: Copenhagen (Co), Brussels ...

works of the 1950s.

Biography

Born in Homå near

Grenå Grenaa (or Grenå) is a Denmark, Danish town and seaport on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula. Tourism, education and commerce are important sectors in the economy of Grenaa. It is the only larger town on Djursland. Grenaa is the municipal ...

in the east of

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

, Holm-Møller was the daughter of the teacher Carl Vilhelm August Møller and Ane Kirstine Barbara Holm. After attending Grundvegian free schools, she was introduced to drawing and painting at Emilie Mundt and

Marie Luplau Henriette Marie Antonette Luplau (September 7, 1848 – August 16, 1925) was a Danish artist and educator, active in the women's movement. She conducted an art school for women in Copenhagen with her partner, artist Emilie Mundt. Early life and e ...

's art school in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. In 1901, she entered the

Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts () has provided education in the arts for more than 250 years, playing its part in the development of the art of Denmark. History The Royal Danish Academy of Portraiture, Sculpture, and Architecture in Cope ...

where she studied under

August Saabye August Vilhelm Saabye (7 August 1823 – 12 November 1916), also known as August Wilhelm Saabye, was a Danish sculptor. Early life and education Saabye was born in Skivholme, , Aarhus, the son of vicar Erhard Saabye (1778–1851) and Susan ...

Viggo Johansen Viggo Johansen (3 January 1851 – 18 December 1935) was a Danish painter and active member of the group of Skagen Painters who met every summer in the north of Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische H ...

and Sigurd Wandel. For most of her life, she divided her time between Copenhagen, where she spent her winters, at her native Homå, where she lived with her two little nephews, Knud and Karl, who can often be seen in her paintings. It was also in Homå that she painted her ten gigantic canvasses depicting the forces behind human life, especially those influencing women. Also of note are her abstract and figurative works, including her ''Musikalsk Komposition'' (Musical Composition, 1940) consisting of four figurative paintings and a large abstract central image.

Artistic development

Her early works were inspired by her trips to London and to Italy, where she studied Etruscan and Greek reliefs. In addition to her own reliefs, she created etchings and woodcuts in a primitive, expressive style. She became increasingly attracted to painting, her breakthrough coming in 1914 with ''Niobe'', depicting her reactions to the outbreak of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in bright, bold colours. Throughout her life her paintings were inspired by Biblical and mythical stories, tempered by her

Symbolist Symbolism or symbolist may refer to: *Symbol, any object or sign that represents an idea Arts *Artistic symbol, an element of a literary, visual, or other work of art that represents an idea ** Color symbolism, the use of colors within various c ...

roots from artists such as J.F. Willumsen and, in particular, Ejnar Nielsen whom she depicted in several of her works. After the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Holm-Møller travelled widely with her colleague Jens Nielsen (1891-1978) visiting primitive communities. In 1950, a visit to Mexico revealed the similarities her works bore with those of

José Clemente Orozco José Clemente Orozco (November 23, 1883 – September 7, 1949) was a Mexican caricaturist and painter, who specialized in political murals that established the Mexican Mural Renaissance together with murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siquei ...

's expressive creations. When travelling, Holm-Møller sketched and etched, leaving her large-format paintings until she returned to Denmark. She worked consistently, painting until shortly before her death in

Rungsted Rungsted, also known as ''Rungsted Kyst'', is an affluent suburban neighborhood in Hørsholm Municipality on the Øresund coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark. The center of Hørsholm is located two kilometers west of Rungsted. At the Øresund coast ...

at the age of 95 on 3 November 1970. Many of the works of Olivia Holm-Møller and her companion Jens Nielsen can be seen in Holstebro Art Museum. In addition to her painting and sculpture work, she was also a printmaker, a woodcutter and an illustrator. Holm-Møller exhibited mainly at

Den Frie Udstilling Den Frie Udstilling ('The Free Exhibition') is a Danish artists' association, founded in 1891 by artists in protest against the admission requirements for the Kunsthal Charlottenborg. Modeled on the Salon des Refusés, it is Denmark's oldest asso ...

where she participated in 20 exhibitions from 1916 to 1968. In 1935, she also exhibited at the 1935 Brussels World Exposition.

References

External links

Works by Olivia Holm-Møller on ArtnetWorks by Olvia Holm-Møller in Holstebro Kunstmuseum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holm-Moller, Olivia 1875 births 1970 deaths Danish painters Danish sculptors Danish women artists People from Norddjurs Municipality