Charlotte Wankel
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Wankel was a Norwegian
painter
regarded as one of the first Norwegian cubist and painters of abstract art
.
, in Østfold
county, Norway. Her father Georg Reinholdt Wankel
was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. Her mother was the noted author Sigrid Ring (1870–1955), who was a granddaughter of Norwegian politician Paul Vinsnes
.
After his father died in 1907, the family moved to Christiania
. For three years, she was a student at the art school of Norwegian painter Harriet Backer
(1906–09). Upon the advice of Henrik Sørensen
, she became a pupil of Henri Matisse
from 1910. She spent long periods in Paris and attended the Pedro Araujo art school (1922–23). She also studied under Fernand Léger
and Amédée Ozenfant
at the Académie Moderne (1925–29).
At the Académie Moderne, Wankel was introduced to a type of avant-garde architecture and painting which was inspired by Swiss architect and designer, Le Corbusier
. Wankel participated in many important exhibitions in Paris, including L'art d'aujord'hui at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes
in 1925. Here she exhibited along with many famous artists, including Piet Mondrian
, Pablo Picasso
, Constantin Brâncuşi
, Juan Gris
, Sonia Terk and Robert Delaunay
. The exhibition received much press coverage and was the first major international exhibition of avant-garde art after the First World War.
However the time was not right for avant-garde art in Norway. She was on the summer exhibition at Kunstnernes Hus
in Oslo in 1933. Her solo exhibition at the Artists' Association in 1930 and Blomqvist in 1934 and a major exhibition was her retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery in Oslo in 1940 generally received negative criticism.
Charlotte Wankel was a restrained and sober artist. She gave her pictures a tight, clear and cool form of treatment, mixed with a purist design. The formats were often modest and palette dominated by blue-gray, brown, yellow, ocher and pink. Her production in late 1930 - and 1950-years are characterized by a stronger palette and compositions are non-figurative, often with some abstract figurative elements.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
regarded as one of the first Norwegian cubist and painters of abstract art
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
.
Biography
Wankel was raised by wealthy parents at the Kambo estate outside MossMoss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
, in Østfold
Østfold
is a county in southeastern Norway, bordering Akershus and southwestern Sweden , while Buskerud and Vestfold is on the other side of the bay. The seat of the county administration is Sarpsborg, and Fredrikstad is the largest city.Many manufacturing facilities are situated here. Moss and...
county, Norway. Her father Georg Reinholdt Wankel
Georg Reinholdt Wankel
Georg Reinholdt Wankel was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party.He was born in Moss as the son of German-born engineer Ignatz Wankel and his wife Karen Bolette Sandberg . In June 1869 he married Charlotte Sophie Rosenkilde from Stavanger. She died already in March 1870...
was a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party. Her mother was the noted author Sigrid Ring (1870–1955), who was a granddaughter of Norwegian politician Paul Vinsnes
Paul Vinsnes
Paul Vinsnes was a Norwegian priest and politician.He was born in Drammen as the son of Johan Fredrik Winsnes and his wife Barbara Holm. He graduated from the University of Copenhagen as cand.theol. in 1814. He first worked two years as a teacher in Drammen, then in Kristiania before he became...
.
After his father died in 1907, the family moved to Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
. For three years, she was a student at the art school of Norwegian painter Harriet Backer
Harriet Backer
Harriet Backer was a Norwegian painter who achieved recognition in her own time and was a pioneer among female artists both in the Nordic countries and in Europe generally...
(1906–09). Upon the advice of Henrik Sørensen
Henrik Sørensen
-Personal life:Sørensen was born in Fryksände in Sweden as a son of Severin Sørensen and Helene Høibraaten. He was married to Gudrun Klewe, and is father of physicist Sven Oluf Sørensen.-Painting career:...
, she became a pupil of Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse
Henri Matisse was a French artist, known for his use of colour and his fluid and original draughtsmanship. He was a draughtsman, printmaker, and sculptor, but is known primarily as a painter...
from 1910. She spent long periods in Paris and attended the Pedro Araujo art school (1922–23). She also studied under Fernand Léger
Fernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
and Amédée Ozenfant
Amédée Ozenfant
Amédée Ozenfant was a French cubist painter.He was born into a bourgeois family in Saint-Quentin, Aisne and was educated at Dominican colleges in Saint-Sébastien...
at the Académie Moderne (1925–29).
At the Académie Moderne, Wankel was introduced to a type of avant-garde architecture and painting which was inspired by Swiss architect and designer, Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
. Wankel participated in many important exhibitions in Paris, including L'art d'aujord'hui at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes
Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes
The International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts was a World's fair held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. The term "Art Deco" was derived by shortening the words Arts Décoratifs, in the title of this exposition, but not until the late 1960s by British art critic...
in 1925. Here she exhibited along with many famous artists, including Piet Mondrian
Piet Mondrian
Pieter Cornelis "Piet" Mondriaan, after 1906 Mondrian , was a Dutch painter.He was an important contributor to the De Stijl art movement and group, which was founded by Theo van Doesburg. He evolved a non-representational form which he termed Neo-Plasticism...
, Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
, Constantin Brâncuşi
Constantin Brancusi
Constantin Brâncuşi was a Romanian-born sculptor who made his career in France. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris...
, Juan Gris
Juan Gris
José Victoriano González-Pérez , better known as Juan Gris, was a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived and worked in France most of his life...
, Sonia Terk and Robert Delaunay
Robert Delaunay
Robert Delaunay was a French artist who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, cofounded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes. His later works were more abstract, reminiscent of Paul Klee...
. The exhibition received much press coverage and was the first major international exhibition of avant-garde art after the First World War.
However the time was not right for avant-garde art in Norway. She was on the summer exhibition at Kunstnernes Hus
Kunstnernes Hus
Kunstnernes Hus is an art gallery in Oslo, Norway. It is Norway's largest gallery under the direction of artists, and has served as a major center for exhibits of Norwegian and international contemporary art. It is also a prominent example of Functionalist architecture and houses the Office for...
in Oslo in 1933. Her solo exhibition at the Artists' Association in 1930 and Blomqvist in 1934 and a major exhibition was her retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery in Oslo in 1940 generally received negative criticism.
Charlotte Wankel was a restrained and sober artist. She gave her pictures a tight, clear and cool form of treatment, mixed with a purist design. The formats were often modest and palette dominated by blue-gray, brown, yellow, ocher and pink. Her production in late 1930 - and 1950-years are characterized by a stronger palette and compositions are non-figurative, often with some abstract figurative elements.
Related reading
- Jeanneret, Charles Eduard L'art Decoratif D'aujourd'hui (Paris: G. Crès et Cie, 1925) ISBN 978-2-7003-0312-4