Gunnar Utsond Sculptor
Gunnar Karenius Utsond (1864-1950) was born in Kviteseid, Telemark, Norway. When he was only seventeen, he was admitted as a student to the Royal School of Drawing (Den Kongelige Tegneskole) in Christiania (Oslo). He went on to study sculpture in Copenhagen. Throughout his career, he traveled abroad extensively, spending three years in Paris. During 1898-1905 he made several trips to Italy.
Professor Utsond made his debut as a sculptor at Christiania Art Association in 1894 with his work titled: “Whitteling Boy.” He worked in Kviteseid on his next large piece: “The Sea Gives up the Death.” This was a somber and startling sculptor inspired by Revelations. This was destroyed in Paris in 1900. Perhaps his best known piece was “Death Riders.” This huge sculpture of a horse and rider tumbling down a rock cliff is a remarkable depiction of the strength of horse and rider, and the fragility of life. It can be seen outside the Seamens College in Oslo. Professor Utsond has also created a number of statues, portrait busts and memorials of famous men and women, including the very realistic statue of Sam Eyde, the first general director of Norsk Hydro, in Rauland.
Professor Utsond participated in the State’s Annual Exhibition of Fine Arts (Høstutstilling) in 1897, 1900, and 1920. In 1934 he showed nineteen new and old works at the Independant Exhibit Building (Den Freis Utstillingsbygning) in Copenhagen.
He was the first to become professor of the State Academy of Fine Arts in Norway in 1909. It was 1921 when he resigned, and returned to his roots in Kviteseid, living on the Nesset farm until his death in 1950. A memorial exhibition was shown of his work at Skien Art Association in 150. A study of his Death Riders is at the National Gallery in Oslo.
The Kviteseid Bygdemuseum contains Utsond Hall, where you can enjoy some of his work, and glimpse the genius of his creative mind.
Gunnar Karenius Utsond was a great-great-grandson of Olav Mikkelsson Mandt.
Lorna Mandt Robertson
Copyright 2000