Charlotte Wankel (1988-1969), Painting, 1925
Aquried with means from Gallery K in 1985.
Charlotte Wankel was important for the introduction of cubism in Norway, although this was not recognized until after her death. Wankel came from a wealthy family in Moss, outside Oslo. She studied painting under Harriet Backer and Henrik Sørensen in the beginning of the 20th century, and in 1910, she moved to Paris to attend Académie Matisse. She was part of several important exhibitions in Paris, alongside artists like Piet Mondrian and Pablo Picasso.
In 1927, when she finally exhibited in Norway, Norwegian art critics characterized her art as “miserable pseudo art” and claimed she was “completely devoid of talent”. After this, she withdrew from the art scene, but continued to paint throughout her life. Today we regard her works as important contributions the modern Norwegian art history.