Ferdinand Finne biography

Ferdinand Oscar Finne (October 12, 1910 - December 31, 1999) was a author, painter, graphic artist, theatrical decorator and costume designer from Norway, known for great talent and versatility. Born in Kristiania, now known as Oslo, Ferdinand was the son of Esther Lucy Egeberg and Severin Finne, a family of high social rank. His father was a lawyer and his mother was the daughter of the Norwegian merchant Ferdinand Julian Egeberg. Ferdinand was the second oldest of four children, and his brother was the architect Hans-Gabriel Finne.
Finne's youth was marked by significant events. His parents divorced when he was still a child, leading his mother to move with the children to Great Britain. There, Esther remarried, but the relationship between Finne and his stepfather was difficult, prompting him to return to Norway after a few years. During these turbulent years, Finne showed an artistic inclination initially towards music, wishing to become a pianist. However, after a disagreement with his father, he turned to studying silk production in Lyon.
Finne's young years were characterized by difficulties, also due to the recognition of his homosexuality in a less tolerant era. After a short period in Paris and some detours in Rome and Capri, he began working at one of Oslo's main fashion houses, Silkehuset. Here, his experience with fabrics led him to the Nationaltheatret, where he worked as a costume designer from 1935 to 1938.
At the outbreak of World War II, Finne was in London. He immediately presented himself at the Norwegian embassy, where he began collaborating with the Armed Forces' social assistance service. During the war, he was promoted to major and received decorations for his efforts on behalf of the Norwegian forces. During his stay in London, he came into contact with numerous artists and cultural actors, 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 moved to southern Europe, living for about 25 years on the Spanish island of Ibiza. In 1967, he published "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 organized 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 presenting monumental graphic works inspired by the music of Arne Nordheim. In 1985, he published "La strada si crea mentre cammini", which, after a television presentation, brought him national fame.
His final years were marked by further exhibition successes, including a record exhibition 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, became a testimony 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 died 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 won the hearts of the public.