August Cappelen

1827 - 1852

Factsheet

  • Born: 1827, Skien, Norway
  • Nationality: Norway
  • Copyright status: Public domain
  • Top 3 works:
    • Peasant Woman from Telemark
    • Tarn in Telemark
    • Lake in Fog
  • Museums on this site: National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design
  • Art period: 19th Century
  • Died: 1852

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

Questions & Answers

In which historical period did August Cappelen work?

August Cappelen worked in the 19th-Century period. The period situates the artist's activity in history.

What colors did August Cappelen use most often?

The color profile of August Cappelen's work is shown on the artist's Palette Genome page.

Can I sort August Cappelen's artworks by color?

August Cappelen's works can be explored by color on the artist's Spectral Index page.

How can I follow August Cappelen's work year by year?

August Cappelen's artworks can be seen in chronological order on the artist's Artwork Timeline page.

Self-test

There is only one correct answer for each question.

Question 1:
In which city did August Cappelen study landscape painting at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf?
Question 2:
Which famous painter was August Cappelen's teacher in Düsseldorf?
Question 3:
What was the primary subject matter of Cappelen's landscape compositions?
Question 4:
At what age did August Cappelen pass away?
Question 5:
Which museum holds major works by Cappelen, such as 'Waterfall in Lower Telemark'?