Domenico Erdmann


Domenico Juul Erdmann was a Norwegian painter, designer, decorator, and conservation adviser. He was a technical consultant and executive conservator in a number of Norwegian churches.

Biography

Erdmann was born in Bergen, Norway. He started his career as a conservator in Viborg Cathedral in Denmark, where he trained under Oscar Matthiesen in Copenhagen during 1896. Erdmann followed Matthiesen to Berlin and Munich and also visited France and Italy. This was where he learned fresco techniques, decorative painting, and church restoration. After he returned to Norway in 1903, he worked together with Eilif Peterssen on decorating Ullern Church in Oslo. Erdmann studied church restoration in Denmark in 1912, and was made a conservation adviser in 1919. He also worked as a decorator and designer with Arnstein Arneberg. He performed design work for O. Mustad & Søn in Kristiania from 1916 to 1921. In 1912, he received an assignment from the Fortidsminneforeningen for the investigation and restoration of historic Norwegian church interiors.

Published works

Erdmann's book Norsk dekorativ maling fra reformasjonen til romantikken describes his experiences with restoration in many Norwegian churches, including Stavern Church, Røldal Stave Church, Skjeberg Church, Fluberg Church, and Drøbak Church, as well as the manor in Larvik and the Norwegian Military Academy.