Herbjørn Gausta’s Illustrations in Glenwood Tales
Check out this video presentation from Elaine Nordlie about artist Herbjørn Gausta, focusing on his illustrations for Glenwood Tales, which appeared in a 1919 issue of Telesoga, the publication of Telelaget, an organization of Americans who came from or whose ancestors came from Telemark in southern Norway.
This presentation was in connection with the exhibit Herbjørn Gausta (1854-1924) at Vesterheim, which closed May 12, 2024. The exhibit was made possible by a generous gift to the Vesterheim Annual Fund from Neal and Gerry Nottleson and Rob and Evy Alsaker.
Born in Telemark, Norway, Herbjørn Gausta came with his family as a young man to southeastern Minnesota. While studying at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, it quickly became clear that he should abandon his idea of becoming a teacher and pursue his talent for art. Local benefactors helped make it possible for him to study in Oslo and Munich. Gausta is, arguably, the most widely-known artist of Norwegian ancestry. While he is best known for his church altar paintings and beautiful landscapes of southern Norway, Gausta also did portraits, genre scenes, satirical and caricature drawings, and more.
Elaine Nordlie was born in Lanesboro, not far from Gausta’s home in Harmony, Minnesota. While a student at Winona Teachers’ College, she spent a year in Norway. She met her future husband at Oslo Teachers College in folk dance class. They lived in Norway for 14 years and then settled to Dassel, Minnesota, with their three daughters. Elaine has been active with Telelag, serving on the board, writing articles, and guiding tours to Norway for the group. She translated the 1919 Glenwood Tales for the May 2019 issue of Telelaget’s publication Telesoga.