Yngvar Sonnichsen
Encyclopedia
Yngvar Sonnichsen was a Norwegian born, American artist and painter known especially for his portraits, landscapes and murals.
in Trondhjem
earning a civil engineering degree. He studied art at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry
with Norwegian artists Oscar Wergeland
and Eilif Peterssen
. Later he attended the Académie Julian
in Paris, studying with William-Adolphe Bouguereau
and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant.
, Canada
before moving to Seattle, Washington
in 1908. In 1917, Sonnichsen and his brother architect Sønke Engelhart Sonnichsen, designed and decorated a Seattle lodge with original oil-on-canvas murals and painting. Now Raisbeck Performance Hall at Cornish College of the Arts
, in 1975 the building was designated as a Seattle historic landmark. The murals are now located in the Leif Erikson Lodge of the Sons of Norway in Ballard, Washington. Today, his works are also on display in municipal galleries in Oslo, Arendal
and Laurvik, Norway, Decorah, Iowa
and Seattle, Washington
.
Background
Yngvar Sonnichsen was born in Christiania, Norway to S.P. and Inga Mathea Sonnichsen. He studied at the Norwegian Institute of TechnologyNorwegian Institute of Technology
The Norwegian Institute of Technology, known by its Norwegian abbrevation NTH was a science institute in Trondheim, Norway. It was established in 1910, and existed as an independent technical university for 85 years, after which it was merged into the University of Trondheim as an independent...
in Trondhjem
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
earning a civil engineering degree. He studied art at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry
Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry
The Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry was established in 1818.In 1996 the National Academy of Craft and Art Industry became part of Oslo National Academy of the Arts .-Noted alumni:-External links:*...
with Norwegian artists Oscar Wergeland
Oscar Wergeland
Oscar Arnold Wergeland was a Norwegian painter. He is best known for his historical painting of the Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll . Two of his paintings are located in the National Gallery of Norway.-Family:His parents were Sverre Nicolai Wergeland and Anne Margrethe Larsen...
and Eilif Peterssen
Eilif Peterssen
Hjalmar Eilif Emanuel Peterssen was a Norwegian painter.-Background:Hjalmar Eilif Emanuel Peterssen was born in Christiania, now Oslo, Norway. He grew up in the neighborhood of Hegdehaugen in the district of Frogner.He attended the Johan Fredrik Eckersberg School of Painting in Oslo in 1869...
. Later he attended the Académie Julian
Académie Julian
The Académie Julian was an art school in Paris, France.Rodolphe Julian established the Académie Julian in 1868 at the Passage des Panoramas, as a private studio school for art students. The Académie Julian not only prepared students to the exams at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts, but offered...
in Paris, studying with William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau
William-Adolphe Bouguereau was a French academic painter. William Bouguereau was a traditionalist; in his realistic genre paintings he used mythological themes, making modern interpretations of Classical subjects, with an emphasis on the female human body.-Life and career :William-Adolphe...
and Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant.
Career
In 1904, Sonnichsen immigrated to Saint John, New BrunswickSaint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
before moving to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
in 1908. In 1917, Sonnichsen and his brother architect Sønke Engelhart Sonnichsen, designed and decorated a Seattle lodge with original oil-on-canvas murals and painting. Now Raisbeck Performance Hall at Cornish College of the Arts
Cornish College of the Arts
-Library:The library at Cornish College specializes in art, dance, design, music, performance production, and theatre. As of 2011 it holds 4700 CDs, 40,000 books, has 2,200 videos, and subscribes to 154 periodicals...
, in 1975 the building was designated as a Seattle historic landmark. The murals are now located in the Leif Erikson Lodge of the Sons of Norway in Ballard, Washington. Today, his works are also on display in municipal galleries in Oslo, Arendal
Arendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
and Laurvik, Norway, Decorah, Iowa
Decorah, 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...
and Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
Honors
- First Prize at the International Exposition in St. John, NB, Canada (1906)
- Gold and silver medals at the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific ExpositionAlaska-Yukon-Pacific ExpositionThe Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition was a world's fair held in Seattle in 1909, publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest.It was originally planned for 1907, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush, but the organizers found out about the Jamestown Exposition being held...
in Seattle (1909) - Honorable mention at the Northwest Artists’ Annual Exhibition, Seattle (1920 and 1927)
Other sources
- Who's Who In Washington State (Seattle: Arthur H. Allen, 1927)
- Selnes, Johan. Yngvar Sonnichsen (Nordmanns-forbundet. translators Jim Skurdal, Kari Grønningsaeter and Øyvind Gulliksen, Vol. 7 237-239. July 1929)
- Kreisman, Lawrence and Glenn Mason The Arts and Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest (Portland, OR: Timber Press, Inc. 2007)
- Leander, Kristine Norwegian Seattle, Images of America: Washington (San Francisco, CA: Arcadia Publishing. 2008)
- Bjork, Kenneth O.Kenneth O. BjorkKenneth O. Bjork was an American professor, historian and author. He served as managing editor for publications at the Norwegian-American Historical Association over a twenty year period.-Background:...
Saga in Steel and Concrete - Norwegian Engineers in America (Northfield, MN: Norwegian-American Historical Association. 1947)