Adelsteen Normann (1848-1918) was the first northern Norwegian who successfully became a painter. As many of his contemporaries, Normann was educated in Düsseldorf, in Germany. He settled in Germany, later in life, but traveled throughout northern Norway, and frequently in Lofoten, to paint. His specialty was romantic fjord landscapes. In these he often portrayed small steamships or sailboats sailing on calm seas. His landscapes, too, were often products of his imagination. Light played a major role in Normann's paintings, and he was one of the first Norwegian artists who "discovered" the midnight sun as a motif.
Normann father Johann Normann was a businessman, therefore, the son learned at the request of his family 1863 -69 a more professional in Bergen and Copenhagen and practiced this some years. Later he gave to his profession, followed his vocation and devoted himself to painting only.
Normann 1869 came with 23 years at the Dusseldorf Art Academy and became a student of Oswald Achenbach and after 1872 that his office had resigned, nor his successor Eugene Dücker. Until 1873 Normann was specifically in the landscape painting trained.
First 1872 in Dusseldorf, 1873 in Vienna and since 1874 to 1917 regularly in Berlin were issued pictures of him.
Normann 1875 in Dusseldorf painted two large pictures, which the Nærøyfjord and the Sognefjord with tourists showed. A similar picture was 1877 from Stockholm National Museum of buying, Romsdalfjord of another hangs in the Gallery mountains.
Normann bought a large house with a garden in Dusseldorf.
Normann was also his works since 1874 in London and has been exhibiting at an exhibition at the Royal Academy 1874 with the "Albert Medal" and 1877 with a silver medal awarded.
Normann 1887 left Dusseldorf and settled as a freelance artist in Berlin settled (1899 Ansbacher Str 44/45, 1908 Nassauische Str 54/55). About Walter Leistikow, Max Liebermann and Franz Skarbina he soon made acquaintance with the local culture and was a member of the Association of Berlin Artists. He concluded, but not at the Berlin Secession, which gave him the accusation after 1900 revenue, to be reactionary.
Normann also had good contacts to Paris. 1878, he first made there. 1884, a work Normann an exhibition on the occasion of the Paris salons with a Medal of Honor consideration, five years later he won another painting for a bronze medal.
1890/91 Normann built himself a villa in Balestrand on the Sognefjord, where he spent the summer now. The building was the prototype of a villa in the so-called dragon style, and is today known as Villa Normann.
During this time he climbed on spatula technique. "It was not the work of the fine, smooth brush; the wide spatula came to his office," as stated in a report from 1893 says. Normann now painted many similar Fjordlanschaften each other with blue sky, the good German tourists sold. Even Kaiser Wilhelm II, who regularly visited Balestrand, appreciated him and already acquired 1887 at the Berlin Academy exhibition of Nærøyfjordbild Normann. Normann 1895 painted the imperial yacht "Hohenzollern", the 1895 in Berlin was shown. On the recommendation of the emperor bought the Austrian heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand 1904 a fjord landscape of Normann, and even on his last trip Nordland 1914 the emperor ordered a picture of Normann, which because of the war he no longer received.
Another focus of Normann images were Lofoten.
Normann 1892 met in Norway, Edvard Munch. Because he recognized his talent, he suggested Munch exhibition in Berlin. The scandal that the exhibition was closed shortly afterwards, he saw ahead, with his colleague Max UTH and the art historian Hermann Benken he so long discussions.
Normann used his own photographs as templates for his paintings. His brushwork changed - unlike his colleagues, Hans Dahl, Themistokles corner of the crusher - in the course of his life and was heavily under the influence of Impressionism is always volatile. He shrink from violent compilations luminous colors are not returned.
In Berlin, directed Normann a painting school. In the summer took place in the teaching of Balestrand instead. His students include Gunnar Berg.
Normann has been since 1870 with the Rheinländerin Catharine Hubertine Weitgan verheiratat, second marriage in 1911 with Luise Rostalski. He had three children Emma, Olga and Walter.
The ash Normann was transferred to Berlin and in the Southwest Stahnsdorf cemetery buried near Berlin.
Emma Normann (1871-1954) who grew up in Berlin, married to Pastor Willy publicists, through its publications on Pre-and Early History was announced, in which he represented the thesis, the culture was from north to Europe. They also painted without talent who mimics after Hans Dahl and illustrated the books of her husband.
In 1994, in Bodø the Adelsteen Normann foundation, which is the dedicated work of the painter. |