Theodor Kittelsen Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Theodor Kittelsen
Theodor Kittelsen (1892)
Born	(1857-04-27)27 April 1857 Kragerø, Telemark, Norway
Died	September 21, 1914(1914-09-21) (aged 57) Jeløya, Østfold, Norway
Nationality	Norwegian
Occupation	artist, illustrator
Awards	Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav

Self-portrait (1891)

Soria Moria
from Norske Folkeeventyr

Theodor Severin Kittelsen (27 April 1857 – 21 January 1914) was a Norwegian artist. He is one of the most popular artists in Norway. Kittelsen became famous for his nature paintings, as well as for his illustrations of fairy tales and legends, especially of trolls.

Early life
Career
Style
Dedicated museums
Paintings and drawings
- Illustrations for Svartedauen (Black Death)
See also

Early life

Kittelsen was born in the coastal town of Kragerø in Telemark county, Norway. His father died when he was young, leaving a wife and eight children in difficult circumstances. Theodor was only 11 years old when he was apprenticed to a watchmaker. When at the age of 17 his talent was discovered by Diderich Maria Aall, he became a pupil at Wilhelm von Hannos drawing school in Christiania (now Oslo). Because of generous financial support by Aall he later studied in Munich. However, in 1879 Diderich Aall could no longer manage to support him, so Kittelsen had to earn his money as a draftsman for German newspapers and magazines.

Career

In 1882 Kittelsen was granted a state scholarship to study in Paris. In 1887 he returned to Norway for good. When back in Norway, he found nature to be a great inspiration. He spent the next two years in Lofoten where he lived with his sister and brother-in-law at Skomvær Lighthouse. Kittelsen also started to write texts to his drawings there.

Theodor Kittelsen and his family settled in a home and artist studio which he called Lauvlia near Prestfoss during 1899. Kittelsen spent his best artistic years here. During this period, Kittelsen was hired to illustrate Norwegian Folktales (Norwegian: Norske Folkeeventyr) by the Norwegian folklore collector Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe. In 1908 he was made Knight of The Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav. However, he was forced to sell and leave Lauvlia in 1910 due to failing health. He was granted an artist’s stipend in 1911 but died in Jeløya in 1914. After his death, his widow Inga Kittelsen was granted an annual salary from the Storting.

Style

Kittelsen's style had elements of Neo-Romantic and naïve painting. As a national artist he is highly respected and well known in Norway, but doesn't receive much international attention, which is the reason that his name is often not included in registers of internationally recognized painters and artists.

Dedicated museums

Lauvlia, his home from 1899-1910, is located in Sigdal north of Prestfoss along Highway Fv287, with scenic view of Lake Soneren. The surrounding area, in particular Mount Andersnatten which overlooks the lake a few kilometres north, inspired some of Kittelsen's most famous landscapes. Today Lauvlia is a private museum featuring an exhibition of Kittelsen’s original work. Lauvlia is decorated with Kittelsen's own woodcarvings and murals. A new exhibition of original Kittelsen works is opened each year with painting and drawing activities arranged for children. The paintings exhibited are rotated each year.

Theodor Kittelsen Museum at Blaafarveværket is at the Skuterudhøyden ridge by the Cobalt Mines. Kittelsen’s poetical interpretations of nature, the forest, the mountains and trolls are presented in the form of carved furniture, oil paintings, watercolours and drawings. New exhibitions each year. In 2014 are Blaafarveværket in charge of arranging the biggest exhibition held ever in modern times.

The house where the artist grew up in Kragerø is also currently a museum devoted to his legacy.

Paintings and drawings

Nøkken, 1887–92 (The Nix)
Ekko (Echo), 1888
Huldra forsvant (The Hulder That Disappeared)
Hakkespett, 1912 (Woodpecker)
Kornstaur i måneskinn, c. 1900 (Stooks of Grain in Moonlight)
Trollet som grunner på hvor gammelt det er, 1911 (The troll who wonders how old he is)
Det rusler og tusler rasler og tasler, 1900 (Creepy, Crawly, Rustling, Bustling)
Skogtroll, 1906 (Forest Troll)
En uheldig bjørnejakt (An Unfortunate Bear Hunt)
Kvitebjorn Kong Valemon, 1912 (White-Bear-King-Valemon)
Op under Fjeldet toner en Lur, 1900 (Up in the Hills a Clarion Call rings out)
Nøkken som hvit hest, 1909 (The Nix as a white horse)
Juletroll, 1907 (Christmas Troll)
12 villender, 1897 (The 12 wild ducks)
Streik, 1879 (Strike action)
Gutt på hvit hest (Boy on white horse)