Pauline Fjelde
Encyclopedia
Pauline Fjelde was a Norwegian born American painter, embroiderer, and textile artist.
, Møre og Romsdal
county, Norway
. She and her family immigrated to the United States in 1887. Pauline Fjelde is one of a lineage of family artisans. Her brother Jacob Fjelde
created many of the sculptures found in Minneapolis parks. Pauline Fjelde was also the aunt of noted American sculptor Paul Fjelde
and the great-aunt of his son, Ibsen scholar Rolf G. Fjelde
.
in Paris
. She was associated with the development of the European Arts and Crafts movement
within Norwegian-American textile arts. She was perhaps most notable for having embroidered the first Minnesota State flag along with her sister Thomane Fjelde Hansen, who was also an accomplished textile artist.
In 1893, the Minnesota State Legislature commissioned the design of an official state flag for display at an exhibit at the fairgrounds in Chicago at the World’s Columbian Exposition. Amelia Hyde Center submitted the winning design. Pauline Fjelde and her sister, Thomane, were contracted to produce the actual prototype flag. The Minnesota flag earned a gold medal for embroidery at the Chicago exposition.
. Some of her oil paintings also reside at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The Hennepin History Museum maintains a file containing her career. Family photos are in the Minnesota Historical Society database.
Background
Pauline Gerhardine Fjelde was born in ÅlesundÅlesund
is a town and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre, and the center of the Ålesund Region. It is a sea port, and is noted for its unique concentration of Art Nouveau architecture....
, Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county, Norway
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...
. She and her family immigrated to the United States in 1887. Pauline Fjelde is one of a lineage of family artisans. Her brother Jacob Fjelde
Jacob Fjelde
Jacob H. Fjelde was a Norwegian born, American sculptor.-Background:Jakob Henrik Gerhard Fjelde was born in Ålesund Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. His father, a carpenter and wood carver had moved to the United States in 1872, though Fjelde did not arrive there until about 1887. After arriving in...
created many of the sculptures found in Minneapolis parks. Pauline Fjelde was also the aunt of noted American sculptor Paul Fjelde
Paul Fjelde
-Background:Paul Fjelde was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota the son of Jacob Fjelde, a sculptor who emigrated from Norway. Jacob Fjelde was a well-known sculptor in Norway when he emigrated to the United States in 1887. After Jacob’s untimely death at age 36, the Fjelde family moved to North Dakota...
and the great-aunt of his son, Ibsen scholar Rolf G. Fjelde
Rolf G. Fjelde
Rolf G. Fjelde was an American playwright, educator and poet. Fjelde was the founding president of the Ibsen Society of America which is dedicated to the works of Henrik Ibsen.-Background:...
.
Career
Pauline Fjelde was a highly skilled textile artist. She studied gobelin weaving at the Gobelins ManufactoryGobelins manufactory
The Manufacture des Gobelins is a tapestry factory located in Paris, France, at 42 avenue des Gobelins, near the Les Gobelins métro station in the XIIIe arrondissement...
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...
. She was associated with the development of the European Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
within Norwegian-American textile arts. She was perhaps most notable for having embroidered the first Minnesota State flag along with her sister Thomane Fjelde Hansen, who was also an accomplished textile artist.
In 1893, the Minnesota State Legislature commissioned the design of an official state flag for display at an exhibit at the fairgrounds in Chicago at the World’s Columbian Exposition. Amelia Hyde Center submitted the winning design. Pauline Fjelde and her sister, Thomane, were contracted to produce the actual prototype flag. The Minnesota flag earned a gold medal for embroidery at the Chicago exposition.
Legacy
Her works have been on display at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts and are in a permanent collection at the Vesterheim, the National Norwegian-American Heritage Museum in Decorah, IowaDecorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
. Some of her oil paintings also reside at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The Hennepin History Museum maintains a file containing her career. Family photos are in the Minnesota Historical Society database.