Ferdinand Finne biography

Ferdinand Oscar Finne (12 October 1910 - 31 December 1999) was a Norwegian author, painter, graphic artist, theater decorator and costume designer of great talent and versatility. Born in Kristiania, now known as Oslo, Ferdinand is the son of Esther Lucy Egeberg and Severin Finne, a family of high social rank. His father is a lawyer and his mother is the daughter of the Norwegian merchant Ferdinand Julian Egeberg. Ferdinand is the second eldest of four children, and his brother is the architect Hans-Gabriel Finne.
Finne's youth is marked by significant events. His parents divorced when he was still a child, leading his mother to move with the children to Great Britain. Here, Esther remarries, but the relationship between Finne and his stepfather is difficult, prompting him to return to Norway after a few years. During these turbulent years, Finne shows an initial artistic inclination towards music, aspiring to become a pianist. However, after a disagreement with his father, he turns to the study of silk production in Lyon.
Finne's youthful years are marked by difficulties, partly due to the recognition of his homosexuality in an intolerant era. After a brief period in Paris and some detours to Rome and Capri, he begins working at one of Oslo's leading fashion houses, Silkehuset. Here, his experience with fabrics leads him to the Nationaltheatret, where he works as a costume designer from 1935 to 1938.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, Finne is in London. He immediately presents himself at the Norwegian embassy, where he begins to collaborate with the Armed Forces' social assistance service. During the war, he is promoted to major and receives decorations for his efforts on behalf of the Norwegian forces. During his stay in London, he comes into contact with numerous artists and cultural figures, receiving his first professional corrections from the Austrian expressionist painter Oskar Kokoschka.
After the war, Finne continued his artistic training at the National Academy of Art in Oslo under the guidance of Per Krogh and Jean Heiberg. In 1953, he stayed in Paris with the painter Fernand Léger. He debuted as an artist in 1954, at the age of 44, with an exhibition that received positive reviews. Settling in southern Norway, he wrote and illustrated the book "Øya og huset" and contributed articles on visual arts to various magazines.
In the following years, Finne moves to Southern Europe, living for about 25 years on the Spanish island of Ibiza. In 1967, he publishes "Den grønne lagune" and in 1974 the memoir "Såvidt jeg husker", in which he recounts his painful childhood and youth. With the launch of the travel diary "Una corona di isole greche", he organizes an exhibition in Oslo with the original drawings from the book.
In the last fifteen years of his life, Ferdinand Finne became one of Norway's most appreciated artists. In 1980, on the occasion of his 70th birthday, he organized an exhibition featuring monumental graphic works inspired by the music of Arne Nordheim. In 1985, he published "The Road is Created as You Walk", which, after a television presentation, brought him national fame.
His later years are marked by further exhibition successes, including a record-breaking show at the Henie Onstad Art Center in Bærum in 1990, which attracted 74,000 visitors. Finne also received the title of Knight First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav in 1991.
His works reflect a continuous esoteric search and self-recognition, alternating autobiographical reflections with spiritual and philosophical themes. The book "Blue Elephant – Echoes from India", based on travels in India, becomes a testament to this search. In 1993, he returned to theater by creating costumes for Ibsen's "Catilina" and in 1995 for the show "Kjære løgnhals" at the Nationaltheatret.
Finne dies in Oslo in 1999, leaving an artistic legacy represented in numerous Norwegian collections and several works in the National Gallery. His life and work continue to inspire and reflect the Norwegian collective imagination, with a depth and sincerity that have captured the hearts of the public.