Joseph Grimeland


Joseph Grimeland was a Norwegian sculptor.

Biography

Grimeland was born in Kristiania, Norway. He was the son of Bertel Andreas Grimeland and Margaret Thomas.
He attended private school at Grimelandskolen in Asker which his father had founded and where he served as head master. In 1933, he entered the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts where he had Wilhelm Rasmussen as an instructor. He debuted at the Autumn Exhibition in 1935.
Among his sculptures were Naken gutt from 1939 at the National Gallery of Norway and Oslopiken from 1951 at the Oslo City Hall. After the end of German occupation of Norway during World War II, he designed a number of war memorial. In 1946, he created a war monument in granite at Nordre Skøyen in Oslo. In 1980, his monument to Norwegian ships and sailors was unveiled at Bygdøy peninsula in the district of Frogner of Oslo.
During the course of his career, he portrayed Hieronymus Heyerdahl , Ole Reistad, Bokken Lasson, Anders Jahre, Sigrid Undset, Kirsten Flagstad, Arnulf Øverland and Olaf Bull. He also made stage decorations for Nationaltheatret. He chaired the Norwegian Sculptors' Association from 1974 to 1978.

Honors