Ambrosia Tønnesen

Ambrosia Tønnesen (1859–1948) was Norway's first professional female sculptor. After studying and living in Copenhagen, Berlin, and Paris, she established herself in Bergen in 1910. She made her mark both in Norwegian art life and at the Salon de Paris, where she received an Honourable Mention in 1903.

Over the course of a career spanning sixty years, she produced a significant number of sculptures in various materials. Statues, busts, and reliefs by Tønnesen can be found preserved in many places in Norway, including as public monuments.

This book tells the story of an unusual artistic life during an important period for Norwegian art, and includes a revised oeuvre catalogue of Tønnesen’s sculptures from 1884 to 1947.

Text by Dr. Philos. Jorunn Veiteberg. Edited by Line Daatland and Tove Haugsbø.