Painting

The painting is part of the deposit from Uddevalla municipality UM76.14.001 - UM76.14.106 The artist Ole Valdemar Thisenius Kruse was born in Haderslev, Sönderjylland in Denmark. Married in 1921 to Agnes Sophie von Schlotfeldt (1879 - 1975), born in Neumünster, Schlesvig-Holstein, Germany. In 1896 Kruse came to Stockholm and stayed there for some years. In 1901 he moved to Gothenburg, where he worked until 1925. Ole Kruse was deeply religious. After 1912 he painted almost only altarpieces. In 1925 he moved from Gothenburg and settled on Bokenäset outside Uddevalla. There he lived with his wife Agnes until his death, in a cottage built by himself. For archival material about the artist and his wife, see Individual Archives, Archival number 135. Further gallate, unlisted archival material is added from gift 2008. See Bilagepärmen UM76.14.1 for portrait of Ole Kruse painted 1902 by Ivar Arosenius from article about Ivar Arosenius from Antik & Auktion nr 7/8 2005. Literature: Swedish artist’s lexicon, Allhems forl. In Arosenius, Ole Kruse, Gerhard Henning, Memory pictures signed by Sven Sandström p. 129- 164, Rundqvist’s book printing house, Gothenburg 1956. Bohusländer, Konst, Yearbook 1996, The art at Bohusläns museum, Mimi Håkanson, p. 53-57. Catalogue: Frank Heyman, Gothenburg Museum of Art 1951. Frank Heyman was one in the circle at the beginning of the 19th century; then lived on South Långö off Strömstad. From www.delectus.se, West Swedish Art, Internet 2007: "Ole Kruse was born in 1868 I Haderslev in the southernmost part of Jutland, at that time to Germany. The father was a painter. Ole Kruse went to learn from the father, who also brought him the basics of drawing. He later studied drawing with a local artist. The home was religious, which came to affect Ole Kruse’s life very strongly. After a few years in learning from the father, he was finished sailing and the walk around Europe began. He moved from country to country in northern and middle Europe. Curiously, he felt no past after the Latin countries. In each place he took up employment with some painter, while he was interested in the free time in visiting the musées of the treaty and drawing in his surroundings. Every now and then he was commissioned with a decoration. On this walk through Europe, he finally came to Gothenburg. There he met the guest mayor Ivar Arosenius and the stockholmer Gerhard Henning. Both had undergone the Swedish Artists' Association’s school in Stockholm. In Gothenburg they were admitted to Valand, most certainly to get free local for the painting! Trion became Gothenburg’s first artist. They were very different, but they enjoyed themselves. Arosenius was the violent radical who loved to shock the citizens, Ole Kruse, with an appearance reminder of an Old Testament prophet, often also appeared as such! He could well stand up in a café and keep a sworn sermon! Such shocked the street mayor of that time. Many were the young radical (or she-radical!) who were flocked around the trio, when they gathered in the restaurant at Grand Hotel Haglund. There they met, when some of them managed to sell a board, or someone in the art society of that time invited! Ole Kruse’s painting took off. Almost throughout, it’s about boards with religious, imaginative motifs. Ole Kruse’s religion was his own, he did not have to follow the dogmas of the church. But he has also made some landscape portrayals, as well as portraits. Prepictures he did not need, he was already marked by the painting of the Middle Ages. Ivar Arosenius married and the group split. Ole stayed in Gothenburg and soon received mecenates. He was probably fascinated by this strange man. Among other things, Ole Kruse, together with a shipowner, started a bread race in Örgryte, Gothenburg. They published a couple of very peculiar books. In his late 20s, he married. The couple bought a small farm at Bokenäset in Bohuslän. Relatively soon, Ole Kruse was isolated there. But inactive he did not become. He continued painting and additionally began writing books. He published three pieces: Bjerget det blaa (1915), Malerens Bog (1929) and posthumously (1952) Ole Kruse’s Fuga. All written and illustrated by himself. Noticeable Books! Despite the rewritten isolation, he nevertheless had help with at least the last book. Valandseleven Martin Poser helped him. Ole Kruse’s art was focused on religious motives. His dream was to have an altar board painted. It long looked like he would not be allowed to experience this, but before he died the dream came true. He male to experience that a church accepted his proposal. After his death, his sketches and suggestions made on cartons have given him a place in the ecclesiastical art history. His works are today found in Masthuggskyrkan (Gothenburg), the church in Tierp and a church in Friersborg. In 1948, this man went out of time." From the Nordic Family Book/Owl Edition 36 Supplement (1924): Kruse, Ole Valdemar Thisenius, painter, f. 13 May 1868 in Haderslev, Denmark, the son of a professional painter, got his first teaching him, then wandered as “malersvend” in several countries, since 1901 residing Gothenburg and is a Swedish citizen. K. studied to taste nature, flowers and old masters taflor Not least influenced af Fra Angelico and Diirer He sought a decorative style outside naturalism. From his first time there are poetic landscapes, Hemmet, The forest smiles, Allvar, and from the Stockholm region of Seglora Church outside the same as foreground figures, 1902). With a less common iron weight between fantasy and expression poems he motley pictures, as in blid feeling, pure artist’s will and with the greatest detail love and love for the dependent work approaching the primitive The 14th-century Italians. Among his works, the Lifvets Tree, stylized fantasy (watercolour 1909), executed in Great 1912, and several of his paintings Werner Lundquist’s collection in the Gothenburg Museum), Further Noak’s Sheet (Sketch for Mural Painting 1905) Mary in a Rosary (large oil painting, 1906-23), The Golden City, the New Jerusalem 1914-23) and Öra pro nobis (triptych, exhibited 1921), in addition several portraits in watercolours portrait 1902, W. Lundquist 1907, both in Gothenburg museum), Af friendship (I. Arosenius, B. Palme and G. Henning) and in oil (a couple of sign. 1917-23). He have executed calcareous paintings in private houses in Gothenburg and a book, Ole Kruse’s sang (1913). In faksimile utgafs 7 dalen og bjcerget it Blue (1915). Separate exhibitions of his works have been held in Copenhagen, Stockholm (1913 and 1921) and Gothenburg. See A. Romdahl in “Words and Image” 1913. G-g N. Memorial Exhibition in Lödöse Museum April - May 1988, arranged by artist Martin Poser, Lödöse, for many years one of Ole Kruse’s closest friends. 70 issues were shown under the headings: Youth and Hiking Years The Decoration Painter The Brödrakretsen - Göteborg Years Preaching and symbols The Texts Autumn