Victorine Nordenswan (1838—1872) was a Finnish painter in the Düsseldorf tradition, specialising in religious themes, and notable as one of the first professional female artists of Finland.[2]
Victorine Nordenswan | |
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![]() Victorine Nordenswan (c. 1860s) | |
Born | (1838-06-14)14 June 1838 Hämeenlinna, Grand Duchy of Finland |
Died | 25 August 1872(1872-08-25) (aged 34) Hämeenlinna |
Alma mater | Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts |
Movement | Düsseldorf school of painting |
Awards | Dukaattipalkinto (1865, 1867) |
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Visual art in the mid-19th century was male-dominated, but Nordenswan was considered to be exceptionally talented, and widely expected to make a significant career as an artist.[2] However, she died of tuberculosis at age 34.[2]
Nordenswan trained at the Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm in 1860–1862, and from 1864 onwards in Düsseldorf.[1][3] Her public debut was in 1861, and she won in the Finnish Art Society's Ducat Contest [fi] the second prize in 1865, followed by the first prize in 1867.[3]
Among her best-known works are St. John the Evangelist (1866) and Women Mourning at Christ’s Grave (1868), both today housed at the Finnish National Gallery.[4]