Herman Norrman 1846-1906

Herman Norrman was born in Säby on 5th August 1846. He was a Swedish painter.

Norrman took evening classes at Konstfack (University College of Arts, Crafts and Design) in Stockholm before attending the Academy of Fine Arts (Konstakademien), Stockholm (1885) where he studied under Georg von Rosen (1843-1923) and HDK-Valand (Academy of Art and Design, at the University of Gothenburg), Gothenburg where he studied under, and, by all accounts, frequently annoyed, the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919)

Norrman traveled to New York in 1887 with his friend (and fellow HDK-Valand student, the painter) Gustave Albert (1866-1905). Unfortunately, their plans to become successful artists in the USA didn't work out quite as they had hoped and they worked as sign writers and carpenters before returning to Europe in 1890.

After nine months of further studies in Paris, Norrman returned to Sweden, (Tranås) in 1891 and started working as a designer and carpenter at a local wicker chair factory - but continued to paint landscapes in his spare time.

Norrman participated in several exhibitions in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Copenhagen - as well as the Chicago World's Fair, Chicago in 1893. He frequently exhibited at the Swedish Artists' Association's (Konstnärsförbundets) exhibitions and, in 1898, his breakthrough came when the Swedish financier and art collector Ernest Thiel (1859-1947) bought one of his landscape paintings - As did the artist and philanthropist Eva Bonnier (1857-1909), Prince Eugen (Prince Eugen Napoleon Nicolaus of Sweden and Norway) and prominent art collector Pontus Fürstenberg (1827-1902)

Over twenty examples of Norrman's work are held in the collection of Prince Eugen's Waldemarsudde Museum in Stockholm. His works are also held in the collection of the Nationalmuseum (National Museum), Stockholm.

Herman Norrman died in Tranås on 24th August 1906, aged 60.

After his death, a memorial exhibition was held at Liljevalchs Konsthall, Stockholm in 1918. Further exhibitions were held in Tranås (1945); The Royal Academy (Konstakademien), Stockholm (1946) and, in 1981 at the Tranås City Hall - where there has been a room dedicated to his work since 1953.