Hans Holmen

Hans Holmen was a Norwegian painter and sculptor .

Hans Holmen graduated from Harriet Backer's Masters School in Kristiania from 1899 to 1900 and at the Zahrtmann's Masters School in Copenhagen the following two years. He debuted at Statens kunstutstilling 1902 with a painting from the riot. His motifs were found mostly in the forestry and agriculture of homesteads, and he eventually got a good name as a portrait painter.

A portraiture mission brought him to England and France, where he studied sculpture in the museums. He went more and more to this expression without losing the paint. After the First World War , he settled down in Sandefjord, where his sculpture by the priest and salmonist Magnus Brostrup Landstad took place in 1928. It was the first time a public statue was carved in Norwegian hard rock. Together with the " Myllarguten " ( 1940 ) on Nordagutu (more specifically at Nordagutu station ), Ulabrand Monument in Ula ( 1933)) and the bust of Harald Sohlberg on Røros, it is considered to be his main work. He has also formed memorials of the fallen 1940-1945 at Bommestad in Hedrum and in Stokke.

Peculiar are many of the graves, tombs and reliefs, nearly 60 in the century, like jewelry cemeteries in many parts of the country. Most are carved in stone, a few are made as bronze reliefs. A few wrought iron works are also available according to Holmen's drawings.

To his early production there are a number of illustrations to some of Lorens Berg's village books. Holmen also stood for the decoration in Kodal church, but these works have been removed by restoration of the church.

Holmen has also made the support of Lorens Berg at the Gallis water in Kodal .