Per Lysne
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Per Lysne (December 9, 1880 – September 21, 1947) was a Norwegian-American artist most associated with bringing the traditional Norwegian folk art of Rosemaling to the United States.[1][2]
Biography
Per Andersen Lysne was born on the Ljøsne farm in Lærdal Municipality in Nordre Bergenhus county, Norway.[3][4]
He had been trained in rosemaling by Anders Olsen, an artist whose work was recognized at the Exposition Universelle at Paris in 1893. Lysne married Ingeborg Nundal (1882–1940) in 1906.[3] Lysne and his wife immigrated to Stoughton, Wisconsin in 1907.[5] After the death of his first wife, Lysne married Olga Ethun (1882–1956) in 1945.[5] He died at a Stoughton hospital in 1947 following a heart attack.[5]
Lysne specialized in redecorating antique chests and painting large platters. He developed a thriving rosemaling enterprise and taught the art to a select few. His signature piece, the smorgasbord plate, was not an object that typically had been decorated, but Lysne's new form had a pervasive influence.[6][7] Lysne also decorated home interiors in southeastern Wisconsin.[3][8][9][10]
The Stoughton Historical Museum has an exhibit devoted to Lysne's work. The Per Lysne Collection is maintained at the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum.[11][12]
