Sveinung Bjørnson Svalastoga (1772–1809) was a Norwegian rose painter, poet, and woodcarver.

Biography

Sveinung Bjørnson Svalastoga was born in the community of

Vinje Vinje is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vest-Telemark which is part of Øvre Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Åmot. Other villages in the muni ...

Rauland Rauland is a former municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1860 until its dissolution in 1964. The area is now part of Vinje Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Raulandsgrend (also known ...

Telemark Telemark () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway. Telemark borders the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud, Vestland, Rogaland and Agder. In 2020, Telemark merged with the county of Vestfold to form the county o ...

County. He was the son of Bjørn Bjørnson Gardsjord (1731-1782) and Ingebjørg Rikardsdotter Svalastoga (1730-1776). He was born at Svalastoga, one of the area's oldest farms. Sveinung Svalastoga painted living room interiors, cupboards, chests, and bowls with powerful and colorful designs, often randomly placed. Many of his works have been retained, both room decorations as well as smaller objects like chests and

cupboard A cupboard is a piece of furniture for enclosing dishware or grocery items that are stored in a home. The term is sometimes also used for any form of cabinet or enclosed bookcase. It gradually evolved from its original meaning: an open-shelved ...

s. He was also known for the mystical figures he cut and carved from twisted mountain pines, such as a mystical woman and her man, and a fairy tale princess set up at the corner of the storehouse. In addition, he often painted figures, especially biblical and mythological, with a naive touch. Svalastoga probably had two working winters in

Numedal Numedal () is a valley and a traditional district in Eastern Norway located within the county of Buskerud. It traditionally includes the municipalities Flesberg, Nore og Uvdal and Rollag. Administratively, it now also includes Kongsberg. ...

, first 1801-1802 and then 1806–07. A major work is the living room interior at Nordigard Berdal in Vinje from 1802. In 1803, he also painted the altarpiece of the new church in Rauland (''Rauland kyrkje'').

References

1772 births 1809 deaths People from Vinje 18th-century Norwegian painters 18th-century male artists Norwegian male painters 19th-century Norwegian painters 19th-century Norwegian male artists {{Norway-painter-stub