Dagny Tande Lid
Encyclopedia
Dagny Tande Lid was a Norwegian painter, illustrator and poet. She is most noted for her drawings of plants and is known for her own illustrated poetry collections, and for her botanical illustrations of Norwegian postage stamps.
parish in Telemark
. Her parents were Johan Didrik Tande (1869–1938) and Thea Gertine Mortensen (1863–1951). She attended the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry
under Eivind Nielsen (1928–29), and evening school with Olaf Willums (1929–33), and at the Art Academy under Halfdan Strøm and Axel Revold (1929–30). She also took up the study of tapestry at the National Women's Industrial School (Statens kvinnelige industriskole) (1931–1933).
has won great acclaim. Lid is best known for her illustrations for the Norwegian Mountain Flora (Fjellflora), which has been issued in 325 000 copies since the first printing in 1952. The text was written by Norwegian botanist and politician, Olav Gjærevoll
. The book has been translated into several languages, including English, German, Swedish and Finnish.
She is also represented in several of the popular papers and books by Danish-Canadian botanist Erling Porsild
, including Edible plants of the Arctic (1953), Illustrated Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (1957), and Rocky Mountain wild flowers (1974). She also illustrated Føroya Flora (1936) by Rasmus Rasmussen , Svalbards flora (1979) by Olaf I. Rønning, Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories (1968) by Eric Hultén
and some Iceland
ic floras by Áskell Löve
.
In 1936, she married Norwegian conservationist, botanist, ethnologist and author Johannes Lid (1886–1971). She worked for many years as illustrator for her husband, who for many years wrote floras for Norway
, Sweden
and Finland
.
From 1959 until the early 1980s she made the illustrations for ten Norwegian stamps with flowers. They rank among Norway's most popular stamps issued. Her Mountain Flora illustrations were also printed on china cups and plates.
Her style is marked by a great sense of detail, combined with a clarity which some critics claim has made her illustrations like comic book illustrations. Some will see similarities between her work with flowers and the Belgian artist, Hergé
, in the ligne claire style and the interest in accuracy and detail. However, her personal style has been a source of inspiration for many amateur botanists, and her work has contributed to the growth in interest in botany, particularly in Norway's mountain regions.
Background
Dagny Tande was born May 25, 1903 in NissedalNissedal
Nissedal is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Vest-Telemark. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Treungen. The municipality of Nissedal was established on January 1, 1838 .- Etymology :The modern form of the name stems...
parish in Telemark
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
. Her parents were Johan Didrik Tande (1869–1938) and Thea Gertine Mortensen (1863–1951). She attended the Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry
Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry
The Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry was established in 1818.In 1996 the National Academy of Craft and Art Industry became part of Oslo National Academy of the Arts .-Noted alumni:-External links:*...
under Eivind Nielsen (1928–29), and evening school with Olaf Willums (1929–33), and at the Art Academy under Halfdan Strøm and Axel Revold (1929–30). She also took up the study of tapestry at the National Women's Industrial School (Statens kvinnelige industriskole) (1931–1933).
Career
Her work as illustrator of scientific and popular works of botanyBotany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
has won great acclaim. Lid is best known for her illustrations for the Norwegian Mountain Flora (Fjellflora), which has been issued in 325 000 copies since the first printing in 1952. The text was written by Norwegian botanist and politician, Olav Gjærevoll
Olav Gjærevoll
Olav Gjærevoll was a Norwegian botanist and politician for the Labour Party. Gjærevoll was a professor of botany at the University of Trondheim from 1958 to 1986, and was a specialist in alpine plants....
. The book has been translated into several languages, including English, German, Swedish and Finnish.
She is also represented in several of the popular papers and books by Danish-Canadian botanist Erling Porsild
Erling Porsild
-Biography:He was born in Copenhagen as a son of the botanist M.P. Porsild. He grew up on the Arctic Station in Qeqertarsuaq, West Greenland, where he acted as assistant to his father. Between 1936-1945, he was curator at the National Museum of Canada, Ottawa, and from 1945 to 1967 he was head of...
, including Edible plants of the Arctic (1953), Illustrated Flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (1957), and Rocky Mountain wild flowers (1974). She also illustrated Føroya Flora (1936) by Rasmus Rasmussen , Svalbards flora (1979) by Olaf I. Rønning, Flora of Alaska and Neighboring Territories (1968) by Eric Hultén
Eric Hultén
Oskar Eric Gunnar Hultén was a Swedish botanist, plant geographer and 20th century explorer of The Arctic. He was born in Halla in Södermanland. He took his licentiate exam 1931 at Stockholm University and obtained his doctorate degree in botany at Lund University in 1937...
and some Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic floras by Áskell Löve
Áskell Löve
Áskell Löve was an Icelandic systematic botanist, particularly active in the Arctic.Löve was born in Reykjavik. He studied botany at Lund University, Sweden, from 1937. He received his PhD in 1942 in botany and a D.Sc. degree in genetics the year after...
.
In 1936, she married Norwegian conservationist, botanist, ethnologist and author Johannes Lid (1886–1971). She worked for many years as illustrator for her husband, who for many years wrote floras for Norway
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...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
From 1959 until the early 1980s she made the illustrations for ten Norwegian stamps with flowers. They rank among Norway's most popular stamps issued. Her Mountain Flora illustrations were also printed on china cups and plates.
Her style is marked by a great sense of detail, combined with a clarity which some critics claim has made her illustrations like comic book illustrations. Some will see similarities between her work with flowers and the Belgian artist, Hergé
Hergé
Georges Prosper Remi , better known by the pen name Hergé, was a Belgian comics writer and artist. His best known and most substantial work is the 23 completed comic books in The Adventures of Tintin series, which he wrote and illustrated from 1929 until his death in 1983, although he was also...
, in the ligne claire style and the interest in accuracy and detail. However, her personal style has been a source of inspiration for many amateur botanists, and her work has contributed to the growth in interest in botany, particularly in Norway's mountain regions.
Written works
As an author of poems and prose pieces, Dagny Tande Lid told of her childhood in an itinerant minister's family, about people and events that have meant a lot to her, and about joy and happiness in work and marriage. She wrote several collections of poems, illustrated by herself, in her later years. In 1987 her autobiography, Mitt liv was issued and in 1974 Lykken mellom to mennesker, a biographical tribute to her marriage to Johannes Lid.- Syng blomstring: Tegninger og dikt (1975)
- Vindens lek (1977)
- Høstens blader: Tegninger og dikt (1978)
- Vart underlige liv: Illustrert med noen av jordens sjeldneste vekster (1979)
- Brikker i et spill (1981)
- Guds fotspor (1982)
- Langs stien (1983)
- Dagboksblader: Fra et pensjonisthjem (1984)
- Forventning: Nye dagboksblader (1985)