Karen Holtsmark facts for kids
Karen Kristine Holtsmark (born November 11, 1907 – died March 7, 1998) was a talented Norwegian painter. She is known for her unique art style, which included both Surrealism and Expressionism. Her paintings often explored deep ideas and feelings.
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Her Early Life and Family
Karen Holtsmark was born in a town called Ås in Akershus, Norway. Her father, Gabriel Gabrielsen Holtsmark, was a physicist. This means he studied how the world works, like energy and forces. Her mother, Margrete Weisse, was an educator, which means she taught people.
Karen came from a family of smart and important people. Her grandfather, Johan Peter Weisse, studied languages. Another grandfather, Bent Holtsmark, was a farmer and a politician. She also had uncles who were politicians and siblings who became professors. Karen married Haakon R. Brækken in 1936, but their marriage later ended.
Her Artistic Journey
Karen Holtsmark studied art at important schools in Norway. She attended the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry from 1924 to 1927. Then, she went to the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts from 1927 to 1930. Her main teacher was Axel Revold.
Art Styles and Influences
Karen was also influenced by Vilhelm Bjerke-Petersen. He helped her discover the Surrealist style. Surrealism is an art movement that uses dream-like images and strange combinations to show the artist's imagination. Some of her paintings also showed Expressionist ideas. Expressionism is an art style where artists show their feelings and emotions through strong colors and shapes.
Karen also became interested in Communist ideas. This meant she believed in a society where everyone is equal and shares resources. She spent time in France, where she continued her art studies in 1936 with Georg Jacobsen.
Exhibitions and Famous Works
In 1932, Karen Holtsmark showed her art in a group exhibition in Oslo. She had her first big solo art show in 1935 at Kunstnerforbundet. She also had major exhibitions in Copenhagen in 1935 and Lund, Sweden in 1937.
In 1959, Karen was one of the artists chosen to display her work in the Parliament of Norway. Her artwork, called Solens gang (which means The Sun's Path), was a large tapestry. It was woven by Else Halling between 1959 and 1965 and is displayed in the Parliament's Central Hall.
One of her most famous works is Mennesket og vilkårene (meaning Man and Conditions), painted in 1935. This painting was quite different for its time and caused some discussion. It was not bought by the National Gallery of Norway until 1993. Today, the National Gallery owns twelve of her landscape paintings. You can also see her art at the Lillehammer Art Museum and Bergen Billedgalleri.
Karen Holtsmark stopped painting in 1970 because of an eye condition. She passed away in March 1998 in Ås, the same town where she was born.
See also
In Spanish: Karen Holtsmark para niños
