Per Ung
Per Ung (1933 to 2013) was a Norwegian sculptor and printmaker from Oslo. The human body runs through his work, from portrait statues and monuments to small sculptures and prints. He studied at the Norwegian National College of Art and Design in 1951, with Per Palle Storm at the National Academy of Fine Arts from 1952 to 1955, and with Anthony Caro in London in 1960.
Emotions expressed through the body
Ung maintained a figurative visual language while abstraction gained ground. In Kunstnerforbundet's presentation, he describes the body and inner human life as inseparable. His works consequently concern more than anatomical resemblance: posture, touch and movement convey feeling.
He modelled in clay and worked extensively in bronze. The large cement relief Diende mor of 1968 at Blakstad Hospital marks a turn towards broader figurative forms. Ung also used materials other than bronze, so each work requires its own examination.
Monuments and different versions
The Johanne Dybwad monument outside Nationaltheatret was an early breakthrough. NKL dates the monument to 1957 to 1961; SNL records its installation in 1962. Work dating and installation year are distinct details. Later portrait monuments include Sonja Henie at Frogner Stadium, dated 1985, and Wenche Foss outside Nationaltheatret, dated 2007.
Omfavnelse shows why a title alone cannot identify a version. The University of Stavanger describes the 1979 bronze group as 2.20 metres high including its plinth. Two bodies embrace, their weight shifted and movement held in tension. The university compares it with a smaller version acquired by the National Museum in 1975, documenting changes in composition, bodily positions and surface.
Ekebergparken catalogues Mor og barn as bronze, dated 1993, unveiled in 2013, measuring 250 cm. The mother carries her child high on her hip in an upright, outward-facing group. These details concern the park's work and cannot be transferred to every sculpture with the same common subject title.
Prints and smaller works
From 1977 Ung also worked with drypoint and etching. Themes of love connected his prints and sculptures. A print nevertheless remains a separate work with its own process, paper dimensions and possible edition, rather than a bronze sculpture on a different scale.
Identification, casting and ownership history
For sculpture, record dimensions with and without the base, material, surface, signature, possible foundry marks and numbering. Distinguish the model's creation from casting and later installation. Bronze patina or a familiar subject alone cannot date an example or confirm an authorised casting. Check edition information against documentation for that particular version.
For prints, consider numbering and signature together with physical characteristics and printer or publisher information. Describe scratches, deformation, base damage and repairs on sculpture, or moisture marks and discolouration on paper. Receipts, exhibition labels and a traceable ownership history can support further assessment.
Read more about etching, modernism, artist signatures, provenance and ownership history.
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