Ambrosia Tønnesen

Ambrosia Tønnesen (28 January 1859 – 21 January 1948) was a Norwegian sculptor. She is regarded as the first professional female sculptor in Norway, Ambrosia met her partner, Mary Banks, in 1888 and the two women lived together for 30 years in Paris, and Bergen, Norway.

Career

Among Tønnesen's early sculptures are Våren (1885), Sneklokken (1887; a young girl), Den onde Hjørdis (1890), and Den korsfestede Kristus ("The Crucified Christ"; marble sculpture in Årstad Church, 1890). She made a large number of portraits (statues, busts, and reliefs), and is regarded as the first female Norwegian sculptor who made her living from her art. Her portraits include statues of Ole Bull, Johan Christian Dahl, and Camilla Collett; reliefs of Dorothe Engelbretsdatter and Petter Dass; and busts of Edvard Grieg (marble, 1902), Ole Irgens (bronze, 1906), Amalie Skram (marble, 1916, at Bergen Kunstmuseum), Gina Krog (bronze, 1919), Claus Fasting, bronze, 1924), Christian Michelsen (bronze, 1924), Henrik Angell (bronze, 1924), Wollert Konow (bronze, 1925), and (bronze, 1942).

Tønnesen was decorated with the French order Officier d'Académie.

Death She died in Fana (now Bergen) on 21 January 1948, aged 88.