Karoline Bjørnson was a Norwegian actress. She is best known as the wife and supporter of poet, playwright, popular speaker and Nobel laureate

Nobel Prize in Literature

Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...

 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...

, being model for several of Bjørnson's literary women figures, and helping out with articles and other literary works. Several of Bjørnson's poems are dedicated to his wife Karoline. The figures "Klara Sang" and "Tora Parsberg" are modelled after her.

She was the mother of theatre director Bjørn Bjørnson

Bjørn Bjørnson

Bjørn Bjørnson was a Norwegian stage actor and theatre director.-Biography:He was born in Kristiania, the son of author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and his wife Karoline Bjørnson. In 1876, he was admitted as a student at the Stern Conservatory operated by Julius Stern in Berlin, Germany...

. She died at Aulestad in 1934, 98 years old.

Legacy

Eyolf Soot

Eyolf Soot

Eyolf Soot was a Norwegian painter. He was born in Aremark, and was married to actress Inga Bjørnson from 1892 to 1900. Among his teachers were Knud Bergslien, Karl Gussow and Léon Bonnat...

's painting of Bjørnstjerne and Karoline Bjørnson from 1897 is located in the National Gallery of Norway

National Gallery of Norway

The National Gallery of Norway is a gallery in Oslo, Norway. Since 2003 it is administratively a part of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design.-History:...

. She was portrayed by Bernhard Folkestad

Bernhard Folkestad

Bernhard Folkestad was a Norwegian essayist and painter. He was born in London, where his father assisted at the Norwegian Seamen’s Mission. Among his painting teachers were Kristian Zahrtmann and Laurits Tuxen. His paintings Mørkeloftet from 1905, and Høns i høstsol and Grønnsaker from 1906 are...

 in 1912, and by Olaf Gulbransson

Olaf Gulbransson

Olaf Leonhard Gulbransson was a Norwegian artist, painter and designer. He is probably best known for his caricatures and illustrations.-Biography:...

 in 1923. She was biographed by Øyvind Anker

Øyvind Anker

-Personal life:He was born in Frankfurt am Main as a son of engineer Nils Botvid Anker and artist and pianist Gudrun Nilssen . He grew up in Vestre Aker and Lillehammer. He was a brother of Synnøve Anker Aurdal, and through her a brother-in-law of Ludvig Eikaas. Through another sister Ella he was...

, in his book Boken om Karoline from 1982.