Th. Kittelsen’s home Lauvlia

Lauvlia was the home of the artist Theodor Kittelsen (1857-1914). He is one of the most popular artists in Norway, mostly because of his fairy tale drawings and evocative paintings of people and trolls, animals and landscapes. Together with his family he moved into his own new house in 1899, and they lived there for ten years.

Theodor Kittelsen (1857-1914)

Theodor Severin Kittelsen was born in Kragerø, Telemark in 1857. At the age of 17 he became a pupil at the Wilhelm von Hanno’s drawing school in Christiania (now Oslo). Later he studied in Paris and Munich. In 1887 he returned back to Norway for good, and spent the next two years in Lofoten.

In 1889 he met the love of his life, Inga Dahl from Drøbak. They married the same year and got, over a period of twenty years, nine children together. Their relationship was characterized by mutual love and respect. Next to art, Inga was the most important in Kittelsens’s life, and she was by others described as the born artist wife.

Lauvlia in Sigdal

Th. Kittelsen’s home is beautfully situated in a hillside with birches by the lake Soneren. From the country courtyard there is a marvellous view of the nature that Th. Kittelsen used as motives in many of his well known pictures, the mountains Andersnatten, Båneberget, Norefjell and Eggedalsfjella.

Exhibitions in Lauvlia

Every year Lauvlia shows a new theme exhibition of Kittelsen’s original work. All pictures are borrowed from public institutions or private owners. Very much of the art of Kittelsen is owned by private owners, and Lauvlia has on several occasions been able to show pictures never showed in public before.

Since 1995 we have shown several hundred works by Kittelsen in our exhibitions. We invite you to experience his art!

Activities in Lauvlia

Lauvlia is very congenial for children and has many activities especially for them ! + The House of the Children - The House of the Children is the storehouse where you can draw or puzzle + The children’s troll path - You may see trolls, the river sprite and nymphs. + Tour to “Flya” - Walk the same path the Kittelsen’s did when they lived in Lauvlia. + Bathing - On warm summer days it is nice to have a bath in the lake Soneren.

Guided tours in Lauvlia

The municipality of Sigdal educates guides every year to guide around the cultural institutions of the valley. Quality and personal service are important to us. Every visitor gets a guided tour through the artist home. When you visit our art exhibition you are at same time a visitor to the home of the Kittelsen family. The guide will tell the stories and bring over some of the atmosphere from the Kittelsen days.