Billedvev (Tapestry)

Sources on Historical and Contemporary Norwegian Billedvev (Tapestry) in English

Compiled by Robbie LaFleur

Introduction. While this list is an attempt to highlight articles, books and websites in English on Norwegian tapestry, some major Norwegian books are noted. Some sources are academic, others are shorter pieces with more casual writing, but all are chosen to spark interest in the rich field of Norwegian tapestry, a long-time interest of mine. I’ve shared my blog  posts on the topic as well. This list is a work in progress, so let me know if you have other sources to add. (email: Robbie LaFleur) There are six categories:

If you want to learn about Norwegian tapestry, your absolute first stop should be the website Absolutetapestry.com. In addition to beautiful images from a wide range of artists, the site provides several background articles on Norwegian tapestry past and present. 

The Norwegian Digital Library (digitaltmuseum.no) is a rich repository of images and information on historical and contemporary Norwegian tapestry; you could spend the day browsing. You can search by an artist’s name, like Hannah Ryggen or Frida Hansen, or simply enter the word billedvev.

Historical Norwegian billedvev (literally, “picture weaving”), pre-1800

Horse and rider tapestry from the Henrik Grosch compilation

Grosch, Henrik. Gammel Norsk Vævkunst: Putetræk og Tæpper i Farvetrykte Gjengivelser (Old Norwegian Art Weaving: Pillow Tops and Coverlets in Colored Reproduction), published in 1913 by Kristiania Kunstindustrimuseum (now part of the Nasjonalmuseet, the National Museum). This book is sometimes found as ten separate pamphlets, but often bound as one book. It is in Norwegian, but consists mostly of color plates with little need for translation. See this post: “Dipping into Gammel Norsk Vævkunst.”

Halling, Else. “Old Tapestries–New Inspiration.” (From a speech given on Norwegian radio, August 15, 1967) Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. III, No. 3, May 1997.

Kleppe, Hermund. “The Baldisholteppet and the White House.” Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 25, No. 1, February 2019. (Translated by Robbie LaFleur)  This article originally appeared in the Kulturhistorisk Leksikon (Cultural History Encyclopedia), published by Fylkesarkivet i Sogn og Fjordane (the County Archives of Sogn and Fjordane).

LaFleur, Robbie. “The Baldishol Tapestry–The White House Replica and Others.” Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 25, No. 1, February 2019.

Larsen, Katherine. The Woven Coverlets of Norway. Seattle & London: University of Washington Press, 2001. The book covers several weaving techniques. Her chapter on “Tapestry Coverlets: Billedvev” is richly illustrated, with details on design and technique. 

Lium, Randi Nygaard. Baldisholteppet—A Treasure from the Middle Ages. Excerpted from: Tekstilkunst i Norge (Textile Art in Norway). (Translated by Robbie LaFleur) Trondheim : Museumsforlaget, 2016. The excerpt appeared the Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 25, No. 1, February 2019. 

Lium, Randi Nygaard. “Norwegian Tapestry History.” Absolutetapestry.com A concise overview.

Lium, Randi Nygaard. Virgin Tapestries and the Bridal Theme. (Translated by Robbie LaFleur) Excerpted from Excerpted from: Tekstilkunst i Norge (Textile Art in Norway). Trondheim : Museumsforlaget, 2016. The most-woven motif at the peak of medieval Norwegian tapestry weaving was the biblical story of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.  The two rows of virgins with a highly patterned background are emblematic of Norwegian billedvev and recognized by museum-goers worldwide.

Nilsson, Jo. “Wisdom and Folly: Norwegian Pictorial Textiles.” This beautifully written and illustrated article on Norwegian billedvev (tapestry)  was published in the January, 1998, issue of HALI Magazine, and reprinted by the Norwegian Textile Letter in VOl. 23, No. 1, February 2017, with the permission of the publishers.

The Norwegian Baldishol Tapestry. Webpage written and designed by Per Hofman Hansen in March 1999. English translation April 2000 by Karen and Tim Williams. Updated September 29, 2012.

“Norwegian Tapestries: An Exhibition Sponsored by the Government of Norway and Circulated by the Smithsonian Institution, 1959-60. This was a substantial exhibit, with 60 Norwegian tapestries. The booklet includes a short essay by Dr. Thor Kielland. See also “Norwegian Tapestries,” from the Brooklyn Museum website–a press release on the opening of the exhibit at that museum, held September 22, 1959 through October 25, 1959. (Accessed 1/29/2021) 

“Reflections of the Renaissance: The Tapestry Technique and Picture Weaving,” from Norwegian Folk Art: The Migration of a Tradition. Marion Nelson, Editor. Abbeville Press, 1995.

Sjøvold, Aase Bay. Norwegian Tapestries. (Translated by Elizabeth Seeberg) Oslo: C. Huitfeldt, 1976. This small-format authoritative book is no longer in print, but sometimes available second-hand. 

Sønju, Unn. A Synopsis of the History of Norwegian Tapestry – and Some Thoughts about Tapestry Today. The text of this article first appeared in a special issue of the Norwegian magazine, Lokalhistorisk magasin (Local History Magazine), 1-2, 2016. It was reprinted in translation with permission in the Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 23, No. 2, May 2017. 

The National Romantic Period through the 20th century

Hannah Ryggen

Hannah Ryggen: “Mother´s Heart,” 1947. Photo Beatrijs Sterk. https://www.textile-forum-blog.org/2020/01/hannah-ryggen-woven-manifesto/

Hannah Ryggen: Weaving the World. Edited by Øystein Ustvedt, Marianne Yvenes. Foreword by Nils Ohlsen, John Peter Nilsson. Text by Julia Björnberg, et al. Cologne : Walther König, 2015. 

Paasche, Marit. Hannah Ryggen: Threads of Defiance. London : Thames & Hudson, 2019. The book was reviewed by Sally Reckert in the Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 26, No. 4, November 2020, courtesy of the British Tapestry Group website. 

Hannah Ryggen’s work has been featured in several international exhibitions over the past decade. You can turn up many articles in English with a quick online search; here are a few. 

Frida Hansen

Ueland, Hanne Beate, editor. Frida Hansen: Art Nouveau in Full Bloom. Stavanger Art Museum, 2015. The book is described by the book designer here. 

Frida Hansen’s work has received renewed attention in the past few years. You can find articles and references to her work with an online search. Here are two articles: 

Gerhard Munthe

Gilbertson, Laurann and Kathleen Stokker. “Weaving Bewitchment: Gerhard Munthe’s Folk Tale Tapestries.” Vesterheim,  Vol. 1, No.2, 2003, p. 19-26. 

Kokkin, Jan. Gerhard Munthe: Norwegian Pioneer of Modernism. Stuttgart : Arnoldsche Art Publishers, 2018. The book was reviewed in Apollo Magazine: “Gerhard Munthe – a madcap medievalist in 19th-century Norway” by Marcus Waithe, November 14, 2018. 

 

Other 20th Century Tapestry Artists

Koppen, Marie. Tapestry: A Living Cultural Legacy.” Husflid, #5, 1975. (Translated by Robbie LaFleur) Koppen wrote a text on tapestry weaving and was very serious about teaching and maintaining high artistic standards. 

Leithe, Janne. The Red Thread: A Monumental Tapestry by Else Marie Jakobsen.  Excerpted by the book Levd Liv, Vevd Liv (Woven Life). (Translated by Robbie LaFleur)  The two-story high tapestry hangs in the Science Building at the University of Bergen. In this excerpt we gain insight into imagery celebrating Norwegian women weavers over the centuries. The translation appeared in the Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 25, No. 3, August 2019. 

Lium, Randi Nygaard. Ny Norsk Billedvev–Et Gjennombrud (New Norwegian Tapestry–A Breakthrough). Oslo: C. Huitfeldt Forlag, 1992). This Norwegian book discusses tapestry artists from the 1950s-1980. In Norwegian. Informative photo captions are in English, and there is a short English synopsis at the end. 

Longbers, Ingeborg. “Modern Norwegian Tapestries.” Handweaver & Craftsman, Winter 1953-54, p. 12-13.

Contemporary Norwegian tapestry

“Kari Dyrdal: Beyond Established Patterns.” Norwegian Crafts (website), April 1, 2012. 

KORO.  Public Art Norway.  http://publicartnorway.org/. Norway has an well-funded public art program, and textiles are well-represented. (Go the the main page and enter billedvev in the search box.) 

Opedal, Hilde Nordby. “Women Weaving Women.” Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 24, No. 3, 2018. In this project, the historical Wise and Foolish Virgins motif inspires contemporary jacquard interpretations. 

Sand, Karianne H. Celebrating Tapestry Artist Brita Been.  (Opening remarks from a gallery talk at an opening in Skien, Norway, on January 14, 2017, translation by Robbie LaFleur). Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 23, No. 1, 2017.

“Surprises in Everyday Life: Hedda Grevle Ottesen in Conversation with Dorthe Herup” Billedkunst (Visual Art), published by Norsk Billedkunstnere (The Association of Norwegian Visual Artists) on September 26, 2019. (Translated by Robbie LaFleur) Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 25, No. 4, 2019.

Sønju, Unn. Influences in my Art: Reflections. Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 23, No. 2, May 2017. Tapestry artist Unn Sønju reveals how historical Norwegian tapestry has affected her own work.

Textilecurator.com. This site includes interviews of prominent artists, including these tapestry weavers from Norway: Anne Stabell, Tonje Hoydahl Sørli, Kristen Saeterdal, and Brita Been.

“Textiles, Women’s Liberation, Ugly and Nice – An Interview with Elisabeth Haarr.” Kunsthall Stavanger (website), May 21, 2014. 

“Weaving the Wild–An Interview with Brit Fuglevaag.” Zoe Black in conversation with Brit Fuglevaag. Norwegian Crafts (website), April 2020. 

Norwegian billedvev–influence and interest abroad

Gilbertson, Laurann. “Incarnations: A Nancy Jackson Retrospective.”  Vesterheim, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2003, 4-17. Nancy Jackson is an American tapestry artist with deep training in French tapestry techniques. She also has an affinity to medieval billedvev tradition. Her tapestry, “Battle of the Horse and Bull,” is owned by Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum and was featured in the book Norwegian Folk Art: The Migration of a Tradition.

LaFleur, Robbie. “A Studio Visit: Grete Bodøgaard,” Norwegian Textile Letter, Vol. 20, No. 1, November 2013. South Dakota artist Grete Bodøgaard was born in Bodø, Norway. She was highly influenced by seeing the work of Hannah Ryggen when she was a child.

Nelson, Lila. “A Forgotten Artist Remembered: The Tapestry Weaving of Pauline Fjelde.” Vol. 25, No. 4, November 2019 (a reprint of the article from November 2004). Norwegian-born Pauline Fjelde studied tapestry weaving in Scandinavia. Her most ambitious tapestry was “Hiawatha,” now owned by the Minnesota Historical Society. 

Instruction

Koppen, Maria Brekke. Norwegian Tapestry Weaving. Translated by Christine Spangler. Forestville, Maryland : Eikeskog Press, 2006. (The Norwegian version, Norsk Billedvev, was published by Universitetsforlaget, Oslo, 1974, 1978, 1988.)

Koppen, Maria. Innføring in Billedvev. (Continuing in Billedvev). 1981. Not published in English, this follow-up book includes a short review of the dovetailing joins covered in her first book, plus four other techniques: weaving with several setts, soumak, rya, and floss.

White, Bjørg Kristiansen. Billedvev. Oslo : Gyldendal, 1974. 

Billedvev posts on robbielafleur.com

Historical Billedvev

A number of posts on my blog reference medieval Norwegian tapestries, with photos. While weaving a contemporary billedvev interpretation of my daughter, I posted photos about the old tapestries. See: “Medieval Mash-up #2: May Your Stars Align in 2020,” “I Never Noticed the Billedvev Baby,” “Medieval Mash-up #5: Skinny Leg,” and “Medieval Mash-up #6: The Comb Symbol.” See also: “Tapestry Food Quiz,” “The Enduring Appeal of Billedvev Virgins,” “Billedvev Faces: Perfection or Charm?, “Pick and Pick: A Medieval and Modern Technique for Tapestry,” “Star Struck,” and “59 Tapestries: Homage to the Baldishol Tapestry.”

Frida Hansen 

I was granted a fellowship by the American Scandinavian Foundation to study the works and techniques of Frida Hansen in 2019. After visiting an exhibit of her work in Stavanger in 2015, I wrote “Now I Like Frida Hansen Even More.” Before the fellowship, I posted, “When Frida Hansen Sought a Weaving Teacher.” This article about Frida Hansen’s missing tapestry focuses on the owner of the tapestry, Berte Aske Bergh, “Searching for Southward: A Missing Frida Hansen Tapestry.” Articles from my fellowship in Stavanger: “Frida Hansen Transparencies–What’s the Attraction?” “Today’s Frida Hansen Transparency: Clematis and Birds of Paradise.” “A Centerpiece of the Stavanger Art Museum Frida Hansen Collection.” “Frida Hansen’s “Hoisommer” (High Summer).”  “Frida Hansen’s Signature Roses.” “Havfruer: A Frida Hansen Transparency Treasure at the Stavanger Art Museum.” “Frida Hansen’s Transparency in the Stavanger Library.” “Frida Hansen’s Last Large Tapestry, on my Last Day in Stavanger.” Post-fellowship, my interest in the work of Hansen and others influenced by her continues. “Frida Hansen Is Not the Only Open-Warp Norwegian Tapestry Weaver.” “Frida Hansen’s Student, Jullik Gulbrandsen.” “Frida Hansen’s Beautiful Black Roses.” “No, It’s Not a Frida Hansen Piece.”

Other 20th Century Weavers

“Hannah Ryggen and her Geese.” “Gerhard Munthe Tapestries at the American Swedish Institute.”

Contemporary Norwegian Tapestry Weavers

“Brita Been Tapestries Exhibited in Skien, Norway.” “Kari Dyrdal at KODE in Bergen.” “Anne Stabell’s Magical Open Warps.” “Sidsel Calmeyer Karlson at Norway House.” “Stumbling on Fabulous Tapestry, Due to Avoidance of Snowy Spring Sidewalks (Jan Groth)”

What is missing? Contact me.