Bianca Wallin
Encyclopedia
Bianca Wallin was a Swedish artist.
, Sweden
. She was the daughter of the Swedish artist David Wallin
(1876–1957) and his wife Elin Wallin
(1884–1969), Stockholm. Her father got a scholarship, so the family lived in Rome
in Italy and in Paris
in France for a couple of years and moved back to Stockholm in 1913. From that time on Stockholm became her home city. Her brother was the artist Sigurd Wallin
(1916–1999) and her uncle was the artist Carl E. Wallin
(1879–1968). Her education was influenced by her father’s work as an artist and already as a child she learned how to draw. As a daughter in this artistic family Bianca Wallin also early showed her own artistic talents, and she early knew that she wanted to become an artist. In 1935 Bianca Wallin married Gábor Kornél Tolnai (1902–1982), a Hungarian Diploma Engineer from Budapest
. They settled down in Bromma, a borough in the western part of Stockholm
, and had three daughters, Eva (born 1939), Monika (born 1942) and Hillevi (born 1944).
she wanted to become an artist. Bianca Wallin began to study for one year, in 1929-1930, at Edward Berggren and Gottfrid Larsson
's Artist School in Stockholm
to learn figure painting and drawing. After that she studied for five years, 1930–1935, at the Swedish Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm
, Sweden, and there she received a genuine art education. Among the teachers at the Academy were such famous artists as Isaac Grünewald
and Wilhelm Smith
in figure art and Albert Engström
in drawing. During the years 1932-1934 her teacher in the etching school was Emil Johansson-Thor, a painter and graphic artist.
("Skåne") in the south of Sweden, the Swedish Alps in the north of Sweden and the Archipelago.
Bianca Wallin painted from early 1930s to late 1990s. Even at the end of the 1990s she was productive and an active artist. She liked to paint and she had a creator’s joy in painting. She had a great interest in antiquities and she liked to visit auctions. "I will never be a senior citizen", she said, because she painted for her quality in life.
's city councillor's collection of chairmen (portrait representing town adviser Nils Sjöström, 1935), The Portrait Collection of the Sparbanken in Enköping
(portrait representing managing director Claes Brunnberg, 1935), Director Hugo Hammar’s Art Collection, Gothenburg
and His Majesty the King Carl XVI Gustaf's
Art Collection.
Biography
Bianca Wallin grew up in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. She was the daughter of the Swedish artist David Wallin
David Wallin
David August Wallin was a Swedish artist...
(1876–1957) and his wife Elin Wallin
Elin Wallin
Elin Kristina Wallin, born on December 29, 1884 in Gothenburg, died March 25, 1969 in Stockholm, was a Swedish artist and drawer. She was the wife of the Swedish artist David Wallin .Elin Wallin grew up in Ekersgatan 13 in Örebro...
(1884–1969), Stockholm. Her father got a scholarship, so the family lived in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in Italy and in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in France for a couple of years and moved back to Stockholm in 1913. From that time on Stockholm became her home city. Her brother was the artist Sigurd Wallin
Sigurd Wallin
David Sigurd Wallin, born June 10, 1916 in Nora rural parish in Örebro County in Sweden, he grew up in Stockholm, dead May 8, 1999 in Stockholm in Sweden, was a Swedish artist....
(1916–1999) and her uncle was the artist Carl E. Wallin
Carl E. Wallin
Carl Efraim Wallin was a Swedish-American artist and painting contractor. He was born in Östra Husby parish in the province of Östergötland, Sweden and died in Chicago, Illinois, United States.-Background:Carl E...
(1879–1968). Her education was influenced by her father’s work as an artist and already as a child she learned how to draw. As a daughter in this artistic family Bianca Wallin also early showed her own artistic talents, and she early knew that she wanted to become an artist. In 1935 Bianca Wallin married Gábor Kornél Tolnai (1902–1982), a Hungarian Diploma Engineer from Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. They settled down in Bromma, a borough in the western part of Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, and had three daughters, Eva (born 1939), Monika (born 1942) and Hillevi (born 1944).
Studies
After High School Exam in 1929 at Nya Elementarskolan in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
she wanted to become an artist. Bianca Wallin began to study for one year, in 1929-1930, at Edward Berggren and Gottfrid Larsson
Gottfrid Larsson
Gottfrid Larsson , born November 21, 1875 in Vallerstad in Östergötland, Sweden, died December 24, 1947 in Stockholm, Sweden, was a Swedish sculptor.-Biography:...
's Artist School in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
to learn figure painting and drawing. After that she studied for five years, 1930–1935, at the Swedish Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden, and there she received a genuine art education. Among the teachers at the Academy were such famous artists as Isaac Grünewald
Isaac Grünewald
Isaac Grünewald was a Swedish-Jewish expressionist painter born in Stockholm. He was the leading and central name in the first generation of Swedish modernists from 1910 up until his death in 1946, in other words during almost his entire career spanning four decades...
and Wilhelm Smith
Wilhelm Smith
Wilhelm Smith was a United States Navy sailor and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor.-Biography:...
in figure art and Albert Engström
Albert Engström
Albert Laurentius Johannes Engström was a Swedish artist, author and member of the Swedish Academy from 1922. He was born in Lönneberga, Kalmar County , but spent most of his childhood in Hult where his father was the railroad stationmaster...
in drawing. During the years 1932-1934 her teacher in the etching school was Emil Johansson-Thor, a painter and graphic artist.
Oilpaintings
"Travelling is a nice part of life", she said. Bianca Wallin liked to travel, because it gave her inspiration, change and a new ability to create. To get motives to paint she travelled a lot both in the north and south of Sweden, Scandinavia and other countries in Europe. She painted motifs from Germany, Hungary, France, Holland, Denmark and Norway. As an artist Bianca Wallin mainly painted in oil, but she was also a drawer and graphic artist. She became very skilful to express what she saw. Her oil paintings were very realistic. Her works included landscapes, figure compositions, still-life pictures, flowers and portraits. She painted subjects from the coast of ScaniaScania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
("Skåne") in the south of Sweden, the Swedish Alps in the north of Sweden and the Archipelago.
Exhibitions and portraits
She also arranged a lot of exhibitions of her own paintings, especially in Stockholm. After that she gained a good reputation and her talents in oil painting made her a name for herself, and she had a successful career. A number of well off people in Stockholm and other cities had commissioned portraits from her. Her skill as a portrait painter was also the reason why she was commissioned to paint a portrait of among others the Swedish Prince Gustaf Adolf in 1939. After some articles in the newspapers, she got the nickname "The Prince’s Painter". Both the portrait in oil and a charcoal-drawing to this portrait are included in the collections of the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf. Some other portraits of well off people are now in different official buildings in Sweden.Bianca Wallin painted from early 1930s to late 1990s. Even at the end of the 1990s she was productive and an active artist. She liked to paint and she had a creator’s joy in painting. She had a great interest in antiquities and she liked to visit auctions. "I will never be a senior citizen", she said, because she painted for her quality in life.
Represented
Bianca Wallin is, among other places, represented in NorrköpingNorrköping
Norrköping is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County. The city has a population of 87,247 inhabitants in 2010, out of a municipal total of 130,050, making it Sweden's tenth largest city and eighth largest...
's city councillor's collection of chairmen (portrait representing town adviser Nils Sjöström, 1935), The Portrait Collection of the Sparbanken in Enköping
Enköping
Enköping is a locality and the seat of Enköping Municipality, Uppsala County, Sweden with 20,204 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Enköping is situated near Lake Mälaren, about 78 km west of Stockholm....
(portrait representing managing director Claes Brunnberg, 1935), Director Hugo Hammar’s Art Collection, Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
and His Majesty the King Carl XVI Gustaf's
Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf is the reigning King of Sweden since 15 September 1973, succeeding his grandfather King Gustaf VI Adolf because his father had predeceased him...
Art Collection.
Sources
- Svenskt konstnärslexikon, volume 5, page 584, Allhems Förlag AB, Malmö, 1967
- Svenska Konstnärer, Biografisk handbok, 1993
- Bianca Wallin in the art dictionary Konstnärslexikonett Amanda (Swedish)
- Wallinska släktarkivet, Kungl. Biblioteket, Humlegården, Stockholm, ACC2008_024, Ediffah. Wallinska släktarkivet, accessionsnummer ACC2008_024.