Harriet Backer | |
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| Born | (1845-01-21)21 January 1845 Holmestrand, Norway |
| Died | 25 March 1932(1932-03-25) (aged 87) Oslo, Norway |
| Known for | Painting |
| Relatives | Astri Welhaven Heiberg (niece) |
Harriet Backer (21 January 1845 – 25 March 1932) was a Norwegianpainter who achieved recognition in her own time and was a pioneer among female artists both in theNordic countries and inEurope generally. She is best known for her detailed interior scenes, communicated with rich colors and the interplay of light and shadow.[1]
Backer was one of four daughters born to an affluent family atHolmestrand inVestfold, Norway. Her parents were Nils Backer (1815–1877) and Sofie Smith Petersen (1819–1882), and she was the aunt of the painterAstri Welhaven Heiberg (1881–1967). Her father was a shipping merchant and her mother was from a wealthy family. Her family moved to Christiania (Oslo) in 1856.[2]
She attended Wilhemine Autentrieth Girls' School (1857–1860) andHartvig Nissen School (1863). At 12, she first took lessons indrawing andpainting, notably withJoachim Calmeyer (1857). She studied with art instructorJohan Fredrik Eckersberg (1861–65), inBerlin with Alphons Holländer (1866–1867), with artist Christen Brun (1867–1868) and attended the painting school ofKnud Bergslien (1871–74). Later, she was a student ofEilif Peterssen inMunich (1874–1878). She was a student ofLéon Bonnat andJean-Léon Gérôme in Paris (1878–1880). She also spent a summer in the town ofRochefort-en-Terre inMorbihan painting withLéon Germain Pelouse, whom she called "the most natural man I have ever met."[3]
Additionally, Backer traveled extensively as a companion to her sister, noted concert pianistAgathe Backer Grøndahl (1847–1907), on her concert tours throughout Europe. She took further lessons in the course of these trips. From 1880 to 1888, she stayed in Paris where she shared a studio with fellow Norwegian artist, Kitty Lange Kielland. She was also associated with Salon Marie Trélat inParis.[4][5][6]
In 1888, Backer moved back to Norway permanently and settled in Sandvika, outside of Christiania. From 1889 until 1912, she operated an art school and was an influence on a number of younger artists includingMarie Hauge,Lars Jorde andHenrik Lund. She also gave art lessons to the novelistCora Sandel.[2]
Backer produced just around 180 works of art mostly based upon local themes. Her work was both slow and thorough. In 1880, she debuted in Paris with the paintingSolitude, and in 1883 exhibitedBlått interiør at theAutumn Exhibition in Oslo. She was influenced byimpressionism. She never belonged to any school but her work is often compared with that of her contemporaryEilif Peterssen (1852–1928). Backer worked in the tradition ofrealism in painting, where she is regarded as both anaturalist and an early Impressionist.[7][8]
Backer was awarded the Schäffers legat in 1878, 1879, and 1880. She won a silver medal at theExposition Universelle (1889). Backer exhibited her work at thePalace of Fine Arts at the 1893World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Illinois.[9]From 1907 until his death in 1925, she received an annual private grant from wealthy industrialist and patron of the arts, Olaf Fredrik Schou (1861-1925).She received the King's Medal of Merit in Gold (Kongens fortjenstmedalje i gull) in 1908.In 1912, she was made a member of Nordlendingenes Forening and was awarded thePetter Dass Metal (Petter Dass-medaljen). In 1925, she was made a Knight 1st class in theOrder of St. Olav.[10][11][12]
Backer died on 25 March 1932 and was buried atVår Frelsers gravlund in Oslo.[13]Ada Madssen (1917–2009) designed a bronze statue of Harriet Backer and her sister Agathe Backer Grøndahl which was erected in 1982 in their hometown of Holmestrand. Several of the largest museums and art collections in Norway exhibit art by Backer, including theNational Museum in Oslo,Bergen Museum andRasmus Meyers Collection at the Bergen Kunstmuseum in Bergen.[14] Backer was included in the 2018 exhibitWomen in Paris 1850-1900.[15]
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 Harriet Backer's works | |
| Harriet Backer's works, video |
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