Hans Stoltenberg Lerche Biography
Art Nouveau craftsman and sculptor with great technical ability, Hans Stoltenberg Lerche trained in Germany as a ceramist between 1884 and 1886. Initially he worked as a painter and illustrator for some German magazines, then he dedicated himself to craftsmanship and sculpture. From 1886 to 1890 he studied sculpture and painting in Naples, while from 1891 to 1900 he lived in Paris as a pupil of Eugène Carrière. The decorative motifs variously used in majolica, glass, enamel and jewelery are largely inspired by the maritime flora and fauna, which he had been fascinated by during his studies at the Naples aquarium. In 1900 he moved to Rome, where he lived for a long time, gaining popularity as a portrait painter. Although, in fact, his glass and ceramic creations are characterized by an Art Nouveau style, his sculptures adhere to more realistic representations. He creates a vast production of busts and sculptures, many made by the Goldscheider factory by melting tin or zinc and majolica. Despite maintaining his citizenship, Stoltenberg Lerche spent little time in Norway, however always remaining in close contact with the Norwegian communities in Rome and Paris. From 1911 to 1920 he designed some pieces for the Venetian glass factory Fratelli Toso and worked alongside Vittorio Toso, the master executor of the works. His sophisticated creations were exhibited at the Venice Biennale (1912, 1914 and 1920) and at the Monza Biennale (1923). He died while planning a large retrospective of his glass for the Venice Biennale and the Blomqvists Kunsthandel in Oslo.
