Gerda Nordling: a touch of royalty

Nordling-Ramberg, Gerda Carolina

(Helsingborg 1875-1942 Frameless)

Graphic designer, arts and craft artist, painter, etcher and printmaker. 

There are only Swedish (Wiki)entries to be found in the Internet referring to artist Gerda Nordling: how injust ! I stumbled over a woodblock print, found her etchings and a painting, became witness of her intriguing family secret and through meeting her was introduced to a Swedish painter she must have known closely and also is only "mentioned" in Swedish: even a greater  injustice. 

    

Gerda was the daughter of John Jönsson (b. 1837) and Eline Andersson (b. 1838). John Jönsson, as was recently revealed, was the illegitimate son of King Oscar I of Sweden (1799-1859) from a liaison with the maid Elsa Christina Trana (1795-1868). 

Gerda's secret grandfather: King Oscar I of Sweden.

The kings son became the city gardener of Helsingborg, well to do, a real estate owner and horse breeder. He also managed to breed 10 siblings. Gerda's brother was painter and graphic artist Gustaf Ramberg (1865-1916) of whom I could not find much details. She had 6 sisters and three brothers. 

Esther, Gerda, Hanna, Elsa, Anna, Gustava and Mia Ramberg

Gerda studied at the Academy in Stockholm and also in Paris. She made several trips in the 1920's to France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. She was at one time a highly regarded artist. Many have said that she was actually better than her brother Gustaf. She was very successful and had several exhibitions, including New York. 

Her work is represented in the National Museum in Stockholm, Malmö Museum, Helsingborg Museum, Gothenburg Museum of Art, the “National Museum for Kunst” in Copenhagen, “Musée des Arts Décoratifs” in Paris and museums in Paris, Vienna, Rome, Copenhagen and Brussels.

 Stockholm, Ladugårdslandsviken.

After her death, a memorial exhibition in Helsingborg was organized. She was married to writer John Nordling, who was head of the women's magazine Idun (publ. 1887-1963). The couple lived alternately in Stockholm and Gamlegård, their residence in Helsingborg.

Catharina Erika "Carin" Lindahl (in 1912) born Sandström and later married Lindström and Nordström. (1886-1959), a Swedish writer (Carin Nordström) painted by Gerda Nordling.  

In the internet, researching her name, I ended up in an auction house that had on offer an impressionist painting that had been in Gerda's possesion once, her name scribbled on the back in 1941. It just took my breath away. More to follow on this Swedish painter soon !

All pictures borrowed freely from the internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use only. 

All pictures are mouse-clickable to embiggen.