Lorentz Dietrichson


Lorentz Henrik Segelcke Dietrichson was a Norwegian poet and historian of art and literature.

Biography

Lorentz Henrik Segelcke Dietrichson was the son of Fredrik Dietrichson and Marie Heiberg Dahl. Dietrichson grew up in Bergen as an only child in a home of cultural officials interested in the parents' social circle. While an undergraduate in the University of Christiania, he composed many clever student songs which were collected and published in 1859. After school graduation in 1853 at the University of Christiania and other exams the following year he began to study theology, but he was more keen to cultivate their literary and artistic interests.
For a time he served as instructor at Uppsala University and subsequently for three years was secretary to the Norwegian minister at Rome. On his return he became connected with the administration of the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm. In 1869, he was appointed professor in the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts in Stockholm. Six years later he moved to the University of Christiania as professor of the history of art.
Dietrichson was a well-known participator in the public health debate in both Norway and neighboring Sweden, and as such, he was known for his opposition toward corsets, which at this point in time was a serious health issue, and as such supported the Swedish Dress Reform Society, and notably helped to spread the movement to Norway.
He published several volumes mostly dealing with Norwegian art in the Middle Ages. He published Læredigtet i Nordens poetiske Literatur , Kivle-Slaatten. Thema og Variationer over et norsk Folkesagn. Et polemisk Digt and numerous other works. After examining Danish and Swedish 18th century literature, he published two-volume Omrids af den norske Poesis Historie. It was the first presentation of Norway's history and development of literature from folk tales.

Selected works