Catharine Hermine Kølle
Encyclopedia
Catharine Hermine Kølle was a Norwegian adventurer and painter.
She was born at Snarøya
in the Oslofjord
as the daughter Christian Kølle (1736–1814). Her father was a language teacher and theologian. In 1803 the family moved to Kopervik
on the island of Karmøy
in the county of Rogaland
, Norway. In 1807 the family moved to Holmen in Ulvik
in the district of Hardanger
, which became the permanent basis for her life.
She is known as both the first female hiker
and the first female painter in Norway. She twice traveled by foot to Italy
, and chronicled her travels over 400 pages. She also painted at least 251 watercolor painting
s. The total list of works contains not only scenes from places she has visited. She also painted the images in the travel descriptions from inaccessible destinations including North America, Guinea, Istanbul, Sri Lanka and Jakarta. She also painted biblical and mythological scenes.
She was born at Snarøya
Snarøya
Snarøya is a populated peninsula in the inner Oslofjord in Norway. A suburb of Oslo, administratively and geographically it belongs to Bærum municipality in Akershus county. It is located south of the districts Lysaker, Lagåsen and Fornebu, and has 2,940 inhabitants.-History:Its name is derived...
in the Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
as the daughter Christian Kølle (1736–1814). Her father was a language teacher and theologian. In 1803 the family moved to Kopervik
Kopervik
Kopervik is the largest city on the island of Karmøy in the county of Rogaland, Norway and is the administrative centre of the municipality of Karmøy, and Kopervik have 8,192 inhabitants. It is part of the traditional district of Haugaland. -Population:...
on the island of Karmøy
Karmøy
Karmøy is a municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It is located southwest of the city of Haugesund in the traditional district of Haugaland....
in the county of Rogaland
Rogaland
is a county in Western Norway, bordering Hordaland, Telemark, Aust-Agder and Vest-Agder. It is the center of the Norwegian petroleum industry, and as a result of this, Rogaland has the lowest unemployment rate of any county in Norway, 1.1%...
, Norway. In 1807 the family moved to Holmen in Ulvik
Ulvik
Ulvik is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality stretches from the Hardangerfjord to 1,800 metres above sea level, and borders the municipalities of Granvin, Eidfjord, Ullensvang, Voss, Aurland, and Hol. It takes around two hours to drive from Bergen to Ulvik. The nearest...
in the district of Hardanger
Hardanger
Hardanger is a traditional district in the western part of Norway, dominated by the Hardangerfjord. It consists of the municipalities of Odda, Ullensvang, Eidfjord, Ulvik, Granvin, Kvam and Jondal, and is located inside the county of Hordaland....
, which became the permanent basis for her life.
She is known as both the first female hiker
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and the first female painter in Norway. She twice traveled by foot to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and chronicled her travels over 400 pages. She also painted at least 251 watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
s. The total list of works contains not only scenes from places she has visited. She also painted the images in the travel descriptions from inaccessible destinations including North America, Guinea, Istanbul, Sri Lanka and Jakarta. She also painted biblical and mythological scenes.