Knut Steen
Knut Steen (1924-2011) was a Norwegian sculptor, draughtsman and printmaker. His work ranges from small sculptures to monuments in public spaces.
Training, movement and marble
Steen grew up in Kampen, Oslo. He entered the Norwegian National College of Art and Design in 1944, then studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts. Ekebergparken outlines this background and his later work in Italy.
His production developed from relatively naturalistic figures towards simplification and abstraction. Female bodies, couples and intertwined figures became important subjects. Bronze, granite, concrete, steel and marble yield widely different surfaces, from rougher modelling to polished forms. See Norsk kunstnerleksikon.
During a stay in Greece in the 1960s, Steen made small wax figures exploring dance and movement, later cast in bronze. From 1976 he worked extensively around Carrara, Italy, developing simplified marble figures and reliefs with literary or mythological associations. Norsk biografisk leksikon traces this development.
Documented works and public collections
The University of Oslo presents the memorial to Fredrik Paasche as an early work centred on scholarship and resistance.
Aurora, commissioned for Oslo's government quarter, is catalogued by KORO as cast and patinated bronze, five metres high, dated 1981. This specific record distinguishes the monument from other versions bearing the same name.
Drømmersken, dated 1992, is made of Carrara marble. Ekebergparken records its unveiling there in 2013. The work's date and installation date are separate facts.
At Midtås in Sandefjord, twelve marble sculptures stand in the pavilion and four bronze works outdoors. Sandefjord municipality describes the site. Together with the public monuments, this collection illustrates the variation in material, scale and setting across Steen's production.
Edition, surface and provenance
When buying a smaller Steen sculpture, document its title, material, dimensions and any numbering together. A smaller version of a monument does not necessarily share its date or execution. For bronze, important information includes the known foundry, casting date, patina and subsequent alterations. In marble, breaks, chips, glued repairs and reworked surfaces should be described and photographed. Assess a signature alongside the object and its provenance. Request documentation distinguishing an authorised edition from a decorative reproduction.
Explore further
Read more about artist signatures, provenance and ownership history.
Browse sculptures in our online shop.
Contact OBA about selling and assessment (Norwegian page).
