John Savio
Encyclopedia
John Andreas Savio was a Norwegian artist, known for his woodcut
s, of Sami
and Kven descent. He is thought to have been autodidact as artist.
Savio was born in Bugøyfjord in Sør-Varanger
in Finnmark
, Norway
. His parents died when he was 3 years old, first his mother from tuberculosis, then his father from drowning on the Varangerfjord
while he was sailing to Vadsø to buy a coffin for his wife. This left John Savio to be brought up by his grandparents on his mother's side. His grandparents were fairly rich by the standards in Finnmark at the time, and they had the means to give the child a good upbringing and education. He was sent to school in Vardø
, where he received tutoring in drawing by Isak Saba
. After Vardø he spent the year 1918-1919 at Kvæfjord Private Middelskole in Borkenes
, Kvæfjord
in Troms
. Then he went on to Bodø Gymnas in Bodø
, Nordland
, but he only stayed there for a short time before he went to Oslo
to study at Ranga Nielsens skole in 1920. In Oslo he also took courses at Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole that year, but he became ill with tuberculosis and had to quit school. He had to get a lung removed, and he was hospitalised for months. He just barely recovered, and the poor health hampered him for the rest of his life. After recovering he went back to Oslo for a short time, before he went back north to Finnmark to try to obtain his inheritance from his now dead grandfather. He found that much of the money had been lost, but he still received some money. The next years he travelled around in Finnmark, making prints, drawings and paintings. In the early 1930's he travelled in Western Norway and Northern Norway, he also made some trips outside Norway. During his life he had only a few exhibitions, two in Tromsø
, and one in Paris
. He spent much time knocking on doors trying to find buyers for his art. He sold his prints very cheaply, just to get by.
At the end of his life he moved to Oslo again, where he lived in poverty. During the spring of 1938 he got very ill with tuberculosis again and he died at Ullevål sykehus on April 13 1938, at the age of 36. He was buried at Vestre gravlund
.
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
s, of Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
and Kven descent. He is thought to have been autodidact as artist.
Savio was born in Bugøyfjord in Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger
Sør-Varanger is a municipality in Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kirkenes. Sør-Varanger was separated from the municipality of Vadsø on 1 July 1858.-Name:...
in Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
, 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...
. His parents died when he was 3 years old, first his mother from tuberculosis, then his father from drowning on the Varangerfjord
Varangerfjord
The Varangerfjord in the county of Finnmark, is the easternmost fjord in Norway. It is approximately long. In a strict sense, it is a false fjord, as it does not have the hallmarks of a fjord carved by glaciers....
while he was sailing to Vadsø to buy a coffin for his wife. This left John Savio to be brought up by his grandparents on his mother's side. His grandparents were fairly rich by the standards in Finnmark at the time, and they had the means to give the child a good upbringing and education. He was sent to school in Vardø
Vardø
is a town and a municipality in Finnmark county in the extreme northeast part of Norway.Vardø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . The law required that all cities should be separated from their rural districts, but because of a low population and very few voters, this was...
, where he received tutoring in drawing by Isak Saba
Isak Saba
Isak Mikal Saba was a Sami teacher and politician. On October 11, 1906, he became the first Sami to be elected to the Stortinget, and he was the representative of Finnmark for the Norwegian Labour Party from 1907 to 1912.Isak Saba wrote the text to Sámi soga lávlla, which the Sami Conference made...
. After Vardø he spent the year 1918-1919 at Kvæfjord Private Middelskole in Borkenes
Borkenes
Borkenes is a village in the municipality of Kvæfjord in Troms county, Norway. The village has about 1,524 inhabitants and it also is the administrative centre of Kvæfjord municipality....
, Kvæfjord
Kvæfjord
Kvæfjord is a municipality in Troms county, Norway. It is part of the Hålogaland traditional region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borkenes....
in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
. Then he went on to Bodø Gymnas in Bodø
Bodø
is a city and a municipality in Nordland county, Norway. It is part of the Salten region.The city of Bodø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Bodin was merged with Bodø on 1 January 1968. Skjerstad was merged with Bodø on 1 January 2005...
, Nordland
Nordland
is a county in Norway in the North Norway region, bordering Troms in the north, Nord-Trøndelag in the south, Norrbottens län in Sweden to the east, Västerbottens län to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. The county was formerly known as Nordlandene amt. The county administration is...
, but he only stayed there for a short time before he went to Oslo
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...
to study at Ranga Nielsens skole in 1920. In Oslo he also took courses at Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole that year, but he became ill with tuberculosis and had to quit school. He had to get a lung removed, and he was hospitalised for months. He just barely recovered, and the poor health hampered him for the rest of his life. After recovering he went back to Oslo for a short time, before he went back north to Finnmark to try to obtain his inheritance from his now dead grandfather. He found that much of the money had been lost, but he still received some money. The next years he travelled around in Finnmark, making prints, drawings and paintings. In the early 1930's he travelled in Western Norway and Northern Norway, he also made some trips outside Norway. During his life he had only a few exhibitions, two in Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, and one in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He spent much time knocking on doors trying to find buyers for his art. He sold his prints very cheaply, just to get by.
At the end of his life he moved to Oslo again, where he lived in poverty. During the spring of 1938 he got very ill with tuberculosis again and he died at Ullevål sykehus on April 13 1938, at the age of 36. He was buried at Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund
Vestre gravlund is a cemetery in the Frogner borough of Oslo, Norway, located next to the Borgen metro station. At , it is the largest cemetery in Norway...
.