Rosemaling
Rosemaling is a Norwegian decorative folk art style of painting dating back to the 1700′s when upper-class decorative styles such as Baroque were introduced to the rural culture. People rosemaled for a living would travel around the country and offer to paint buildings such as churches, or the homes of the wealthy in exchange for room and board or money. Rosemaling went out of style in the late 1800′s but was picked up again by Norwegian immigrants to America in the 20th century.
“Per Lysne, who was born in Norway and learned to rosemal there, is credited with inspiring this revival. He came to America in the early 20th Century and was employed as a wagon painter in Stoughten, Wisconsin. When business slowed during the Depression he began to rosemal again. Other Norwegian-Americans, most notably Ethel Kvalheim, observed Per’s work and American rosemaling was born.” Source: www.rosemaling.org
Rosemaling is alive and well today in America and is taught in many areas of the United States. There is a Norwegian-American museum that has a large collection of rosemaling and hosts an annual rosemaling competition.
My Norwegian paternal grandmother was a rosemaler. She gave me two of her pieces several years ago. I display these proudly as I have few examples of my cultural heritage:
