Biography
Wergeland was born in Oslo, Norway. Several of his siblings died early, and his father went to America around 1860. He was a student of David Arnesen (1818-1895) during 1859 and of the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry 1865-1867. He also frequented the art school operated by Johan Fredrik Eckersberg (1822- 1870) during the period 1865-69. He was a student at the Copenhagen art academy in 1869. He studied history painting in Munich 1874 – 1876, and lived in Munich until 1889. From 1889 he was teaching at the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry in Kristiania.
The painting Riksforsamlingen på Eidsvoll 1814 was probably begun in 1882. Wergeland copied well over 60 portrait to get the result as credible as possible. The picture includes 55 portraits of the constitutional fathers. (Not all of the 112 persons are viewable) It is today located in the Norwegian Parliament, behind the speaker's platform and the presidential podium. The painting was used as the main reverse motif of Norwegian 100 kroner notes from 1962 to 1977. Additionally the painting appeared on several Norwegian postage statmps issued during 1918 for the 100th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll.
Read more about this topic: Oscar Wergeland
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