The Life of August Cappelen
Hermann August Cappelen was a Norwegian painter born in Skien, Norway. He was the son of Diderik von Cappelen and Margaret Noble Severine Henriette Løvenskiold, from families involved in merchant, land owner, civil servant, and political roles. Growing up at Holden, a manor in Ulefoss in the Grenland district of Telemark, he later studied in Düsseldorf at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf under Johann Wilhelm Schirmer in landscape painting class from 1846 to 1850.
His career included study tours in Norway through Lom Municipality in Gudbrandsdalen, Sogn, and Hardanger. His paintings featured landscapes with forests, lakes, and streams, utilizing deep moss green tones and forms of nature such as trees and mountains. His most productive period occurred between 1850 and 1852, before he died of gastric cancer in Düsseldorf at age 25.
Notable Works and Legacy
Cappelen's works are held in collections such as the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design. His notable paintings include:
- Kvernhus, 1850
- Utdøende urskog i uvær, 1851
- Morkne trær, 1851
- Tjern i tåke, 1851
- Foss i nedre Telemark, 1852
- Skogtjern i Nedre Telemark, 1852
- Svarttjern, 1852
- Møllefossen, 1852
- Utdøende urskog, 1852
