Harald Kihle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Harald Kihle
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Kihle in 1986
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| Born | 3 July 1905 Horten, Norway
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| Died | 2 August 1997 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | Norwegian |
| Occupation | painter and illustrator |
Harald Kihle (born July 3, 1905 – died August 2, 1997) was a talented Norwegian artist. He was both a painter and an illustrator. Kihle is especially famous for his paintings that show scenes from the beautiful Telemark region of Norway.
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About Harald Kihle's Life
Harald Kihle was born in a town called Horten in Norway. His parents were Anton Jørgensen and Mina Gunelia Halvorsdatter Leikås. In 1930, he married Ingrid Kirsten Olsen.
Later, in the 1950s, Harald and his family moved to a special place in Oslo called Ekely. Many artists lived and worked there. Harald Kihle lived a long life, passing away in Oslo in 1997 when he was 92 years old.
Harald Kihle's Art Career
Harald Kihle studied art at the Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole from 1926 to 1929. He also learned from famous artists like Henrik Sørensen, Axel Revold, Per Krohg, and Marcel Gromaire.
Inspired by Telemark
Kihle loved the Telemark region of Norway very much. He was fascinated by its amazing nature and the old traditions of its people. He enjoyed the local arts, crafts, songs, and music. He also admired the way farmers lived their lives.
Horses became a very important part of Kihle's art. He often painted horses in his pictures. He liked to show Telemark as it was in old times, before modern things like tractors and power lines arrived.
Summer Adventures and Collaborations
Harald Kihle spent many summers exploring different parts of Telemark. He visited places like Hjartdal, Flatdal, and Smørklepp. In 1947, he even built a summer house in Smørklepp. He spent many summers there with his wife.
He often worked with his friend and fellow painter, Henrik Sørensen. Sørensen also spent his summers in Smørklepp. In 1961, Kihle wrote an article about his thirty summers in Telemark. It was published in a yearly book called Årbok for Telemark.
Today, you can see many of Kihle's and Sørensen's artworks at the Vinje Biletgalleri in Smørklepp.
Famous Legends and Paintings
Kihle found inspiration from the nature in places like Botnedalen and Mo. He was also inspired by old Norwegian legends. Two of these were about "Storegut" and "Guro Heddelid."
He painted Storegutdrapet (which means The killing of Storegut) between 1943 and 1944. He also created woodcut illustrations for a 1951 book of poems called Storegut by Aasmund Olavsson Vinje. This legend is based on a true story from 1791 about a very strong man named "Storegut."
Some of Kihle's other well-known paintings include:
- En jordferd (A funeral) from 1936
- Anne from 1939
- Fra Telemark (From Telemark) from 1953
- Oktobersnø over Ormeggene (October Snow over Ormeggene) from 1955
- Guro rid til ottesong (Guro rides to matins) from 1957–1960
These paintings can be seen at the National Gallery of Norway. His painting Tømmerkjøring (Log driving) from 1950 is at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Illustrations and Church Art
Besides his paintings, Kihle also illustrated books. He made woodcut pictures for Vinje's Storegut and for the novel Det store spelet (The great game) by Tarjei Vesaas. He also illustrated a song collection called Guro Heddelid by Jørund Telnes.
Harald Kihle also painted special altarpieces for churches. He created one for the Grunge Church in Vinje and another for the Bakkebø Chapel in Egersund. He even helped restore an old altarpiece that used to be in a very old stave church in Mo. He decorated it with Henrik Sørensen, and it is now in Mo Church.
Kihle's Artistic Style
When Harald Kihle first started painting in the early 1930s, he often used earthy colors. His style was simple, almost like folk art. But as he continued to paint, his colors became brighter. His painting style also became more detailed and refined over time.
