Halfdan Egedius
Encyclopedia
Halfdan Egedius was a Norwegian
painter and illustrator.
in Buskerud county
and grew up in Christiania
. His interest in painting and illustration began at the age of 5 and he showed exceptional artistic abilities early. He attended art school from the age of 9 at the school of art of Knud Bergslien
, where he was a pupil from 1886 to 1889. In 1891 he was a pupil of Erik Werenskiold
, and from 1891 to 1892 he studied at the Arts and Crafts School in Christiania. In 1894 he attended the Harriet Backer art school. During spring 1896, he was a student of Kristian Zahrtmann
in Copenhagen
. From the age of 15 he began painting the landscape of Telemark
.
Professionally known as Halfdan Johnsen Egedius, he was active from the age of 16 until his premature death at the age of 21. In his short life he managed to create several Norwegian masterpieces in a variety of styles. He is best known for his illustrations of the Heimskringla
in a style inspired by Werenskiold.
Halfdan Egedius became ill during a summer stay in Telemark
in 1898, and after relapsing before Christmas, was hospitalized in Christiania, where he died in February 1899, not yet 22 years old. The cause of death was actinomycosis
, a bacterial infection that attacked the internal organs. He was buried in the churchyard at Vestre Aker
. Fifty after his death, a memorial stone was erected.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
painter and illustrator.
Biography
Halfdan Johnsen Egedius was born in DrammenDrammen
Drammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
in Buskerud county
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
and grew up in Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. His interest in painting and illustration began at the age of 5 and he showed exceptional artistic abilities early. He attended art school from the age of 9 at the school of art of Knud Bergslien
Knud Bergslien
Knud Larsen Bergslien was a Norwegian painter, art teacher and master artist. In his art, he frequently portrayed the lives of the Norwegian people, their history and heroes of the past...
, where he was a pupil from 1886 to 1889. In 1891 he was a pupil of Erik Werenskiold
Erik Werenskiold
Erik Theodor Werenskiold was a Norwegian painter and illustrator. He is especially known for his drawings for the...
, and from 1891 to 1892 he studied at the Arts and Crafts School in Christiania. In 1894 he attended the Harriet Backer art school. During spring 1896, he was a student of Kristian Zahrtmann
Kristian Zahrtmann
Peder Henrik Kristian Zahrtmann, known as Kristian Zahrtmann, was a Danish painter. He was a part of the Danish artistic generation in the late 19th century, along with Peder Severin Krøyer and Theodor Esbern Philipsen, who broke away from both the strictures of traditional Academicism and the...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. From the age of 15 he began painting the landscape of Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
.
Professionally known as Halfdan Johnsen Egedius, he was active from the age of 16 until his premature death at the age of 21. In his short life he managed to create several Norwegian masterpieces in a variety of styles. He is best known for his illustrations of the Heimskringla
Heimskringla
Heimskringla is the best known of the Old Norse kings' sagas. It was written in Old Norse in Iceland by the poet and historian Snorri Sturluson ca. 1230...
in a style inspired by Werenskiold.
Halfdan Egedius became ill during a summer stay in Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
in 1898, and after relapsing before Christmas, was hospitalized in Christiania, where he died in February 1899, not yet 22 years old. The cause of death was actinomycosis
Actinomycosis
Actinomycosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Actinomyces species such as Actinomyces israelii or A. gerencseriae. It can also be caused by Propionibacterium propionicus, and the condition is likely to be polymicrobial aerobic anaerobic infection.Actinomycosis occurs rarely in humans...
, a bacterial infection that attacked the internal organs. He was buried in the churchyard at Vestre Aker
Vestre Aker
Vestre Aker is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway.The previous municipality Aker was merged into the city of Oslo in 1948.The borough of Vestre Aker was organized as part of the 1 January 2004 reform. Previous boroughs...
. Fifty after his death, a memorial stone was erected.
Sources
- Walther Halvorsen. Halfdan Egedius. Gyldendal 1914
- Øistein Parmann. Halfdan Egedius: liv og verk. Dreyer, Oslo, 1990. ISBN 82-09-01753-5