Thursday 29 July 2010

Frithjof Tidemand Johannessen

Frithjof Tidemand Johannessen

(1916 Oslo - 1958)

(Norwegian graphic- and decorative artist, glaspainter, author, colorwoodblock-printmaker, active in the Norwegian resistance 1940-45)


"Fügelfjell i mitnattsol" (Birdcliffs in midnight sun)

In my pictures archive I had this picture of "Gulls and Cliffs". The maker: F. Tidemann Johannessen. That's what I read. In pencil the Norwegian title is shown lower left.

And that is why I failed to find any information on the Internet. It's Tidemand Johannessen. That gives a few clues on the www. but not much is revealed about this artist. 

The Gulls-print belonging to a rare set of 12 coloured woodcutprints published in 1953:

"Norge i 12 Originale Fargestresnitt"


Each print representing a month of the year, the motifs divided between the North, West, East and South. Recently someone sent me two more pictures of this series. Living on the edge of the same Northsea, I really appriciate them . And would I very much like to know more about this artist.
"fiskerflötte ... lofotveggen" (Fishingfleet in the Lofoten)

"nordlys an Finnmarkvidda" (aurora borealis in Finmarksvidda ?)

And I even found a no. 4 of this series.


"epleblomster .. Hardanger" (Apple blossoms in Hardangerfjord)

Frithjof T.J. also designed the glaswindows in Thorsov Church in his native Oslo. This church was initiated 1958 so they probably have been his last achievements. He died, aged only 42, in the same year.


Thanks to: Clive, Art and the Easthete, for correcting and putting me on the track!

Thanks to : Deb Hagemeier, Assistant Director Mikkelsen Library Augustana, Sioux Falls

To be continued !

15 comments:

  1. Norge i 12 Originale Fargestresnitt
    Norway in 12 Woodcuts
    Frithjof Tidemand-Johannessen

    Original Color Woodcuts on Paper
    Mikkelsen Library Collection

    Frithjof Tidemand-Jhannessen was born in 1916 in Oslo, Norway. He worked as a graphic artist, decorative artist and author, specializing in color woodcuts, liturgical art such as mosaics and stained glass windows, and wrought iron. The artist died in 1958.

    This series is from a folio of 12 colored plates published in 1953. Each color plate represents a month of th year, and the motifs are divided between the North, West, East, and South of Norway.

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  2. Clive you're great. Since the posting is so fresh I worked these revelations in.
    I've already contacted the Mikkelsen Library since the seem to own all 12 prints.
    To be continued.

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  3. midnight sun, not midsummer night!

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  4. Dank Paul, direct gecorrigeerd.

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  5. Hallo Gerrie,

    Heel toevallig ben ik vandaag op google gaan zoeken naar informatie over Tidemand-Johannessen. Waarom? Ik ben nl in het bezit van een map met de 12 houtsneden.
    Gevonden tussen de tweedehands kunstboeken bij de Slegte.
    Ik vind ze prachtig, komt ook omdat ik dol ben op Noorwegen.
    Zo kwam ik bij jou terecht.
    Ontzettend leuk om dit te weten, misschien hoor ik nog wat.

    vriendelijke groet
    Geke

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  6. Hallo Geke, leuk dat je me gevonden hebt, en Frithjof. En ja geweldige prenten. Ik heb je in een email geantwoord maar ik weet niet of die wel aankomt vanwege noreply status. Anders moet je me maar privé even mailen: g.caspers@hccnet.nl : groeten Gerbrand

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  7. You wouldn't happen to know how much the "Apple blossoms in Hardangerfjord" is worth? Is there only one print of this picture?

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  8. Hello, see my also my posting on Tidemand Johanneson of august 12th. Then please email me at: g.caspers@hccnet.nl.

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  9. It's Tidemand-Johannessen, not -son. We share the same surname so I should know :) 99% of the times -sen will be Norwegians and Danes. -son are almost always Swedes.

    Fritjof was kicked out of Nazi-Germany before the war for being a radical and painting Entartet. He joined the armed underground resistance to the German occupation of Norway, and was later put in Grini concentration camp outside Oslo were he survived until the end of the war.

    After the war Fritjof worked closely with the Norwegian Cooperative Union and Wholesale Society. Here he produced a lot of very nice works for them. The prints you have here are very similar to them.

    If there is a question posted 10th of November I'm sorry but I can not read Dutch.

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  10. hello, leaving a comment is always very much appreciated. I'll immediatly correct the spellig of the name. and thanks for the additions to his biography. The Dutch ladies' comment was about finding the set of 12 prints in a secondhand book shop and becoming rather attached to them.

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  11. Hallo,
    Wikipedia heeft een mooie update gehad! zie:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frithjof_Tidemand-Johannessen
    Ik ben echt een fan van deze kunstenaar.
    Groeten, Tim

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  12. Can anyone give an approximate value of a copy of 'Fuglefjell I Midnattsol' - Birds Under the Midnight Sun and 'Sommerdag I Skjaergarden' - A Summer Day in the Skerries. by this artist.
    Thank you, Peter Noble

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  13. Hello to you too Peter,

    Please respect the fact my Blog is not a public place where you can stick your advertisement on the wall addressing to all who might pass without addressing with some formula of respect to the owner. Maybe you weren’t awaire of this and I forgive.
    And please let me remind you of this anecdote about value.
    A very famous violinist’s answer to the question when asked about the value of a violin by just an inquiring person with an old violin once was: “It all depends, if you are asking me as a buyer or as a seller”.

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  14. This is my uncle :)

    http://www.geni.com/people/Carl-Frithjof-Tidemand-Johannessen/310477620160001400

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