Didrik Nielssøn Muus (1633 – 7 February 1706) was a Norwegian priest, painter, copper engraver and sculptor. Muus was born at Stange in

Hedmark Hedmark () was a county in Norway before 1 January 2020, bordering Trøndelag to the north, Oppland to the west, Akershus to the south, and Sweden to the east. The county administration is in Hamar. Hedmark and Oppland counties were merged i ...

, Norway. He was the son of Niels Rasmussen Muus (1595–1663) and Marichen Didriksdatter Nøff (died ca 1660). Muus attended to school in

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

and became a student in theological studies at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

in 1653. He graduated in 1659. He served as chaplain to the priest in

Ringsaker is a municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Hedemarken. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brumunddal. Other settlements in Ringsaker include the town of Moelv and the v ...

from 1661. In 1686, Muus was offered the position of vicar at

Stord Stord is a municipality in Vestland county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sunnhordland. Stord is sometimes called "Norway in miniature" since it has such a variety of landscapes: coastline, fjords, forests, agricultural l ...

where he would serve for the next 20 years. He painted several

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

epitaph An epitaph (; ) is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves be ...

s and portraits, and is regarded as a forerunner of other artists.

Personal life

Muus married ca. 1667 with a noble woman and widow, Maren Skaktavl (1624–1718). He died at Stord in

Hordaland Hordaland () was a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark, and Rogaland counties. Hordaland was the third largest county, after Akershus and Oslo, by population. The county government was the Hordaland County Municipal ...

during 1706.

References

1633 births 1706 deaths People from Hedmark University of Copenhagen alumni 18th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy 17th-century Norwegian painters 18th-century Norwegian painters 18th-century male artists Norwegian male painters 17th-century Norwegian Lutheran clergy {{Norway-painter-stub