# Else Halling

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Else_Halling
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Else_Halling.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Else_Halling
> Source revision: 1348883511
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Else Halling** (3 July 1899 – 14 February 1987) was a Norwegian textile artist.

She is known for her reconstructions of old Norwegian [tapestry](/source/Tapestry), and taught [weaving](/source/Weaving) in [Trondheim](/source/Trondheim), [Drammen](/source/Drammen) and [Oslo](/source/Oslo). She decorated public institutions such as the [Royal Palace](/source/Royal_Palace,_Oslo) in Oslo, the [Akershus Castle](/source/Akershus_Fortress), the [Stortinget](/source/Stortinget) building, and the [Oslo City Hall](/source/Oslo_City_Hall).

## Personal life

Halling was born in [Øvre Eiker](/source/%C3%98vre_Eiker) to a priest, Johannes Swensen, and Marie Halling. She was a granddaughter of priest and labour movement pioneer, [Honoratus Halling](/source/Honoratus_Halling), and niece of educator, [Sigurd Halling](/source/Sigurd_Halling). She died in [Oslo](/source/Oslo) in 1987.[1]

## Career

Halling was educated at the [Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry](/source/Norwegian_National_Academy_of_Craft_and_Art_Industry) in [Kristiania](/source/Oslo), and eventually made further studies in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France and Austria.[1] From 1925 to 1928 she was running a private weaving school in [Trondheim](/source/Trondheim). She was teacher in [Drammen](/source/Drammen) from 1931 to 1934, and was running her own weaving school in [Oslo](/source/Oslo) from 1936 to 1940.[2] Cooperating with the [Norwegian Museum of Decorative Arts and Design](/source/Norwegian_Museum_of_Decorative_Arts_and_Design), she made reconstructions of old Norwegian tapestry, utilising old [dyeing](/source/Dyeing) techniques and [spælsau](/source/Sp%C3%A6lsau) yarn.[3] From 1941 to 1963 she taught tapestry weaving at the *Statens Kvinnelige Industriskole*.[4] She was artistical leader of the studio *Norsk billedvev* from 1951 to 1968, through which she delivered decorations to a number of public institutions, including the [Royal Palace](/source/Royal_Palace,_Oslo), the [Akershus Castle](/source/Akershus_Fortress), the [Stortinget](/source/Stortinget) building, and the [Oslo City Hall](/source/Oslo_City_Hall).[1]

Among her carpets are *St. Hallvard* (designed by [Else Poulsson](/source/Else_Poulsson)), *Bataljer på Lilletorvet* (designed by [Kåre Jonsborg](/source/K%C3%A5re_Jonsborg)), *Sagbruket* (Jonsborg) and *Kjølhalingsplassen* (Jonsborg), all at the Oslo City Hall.[3]

Her tapestry *Kongeteppet* at the Royal Palace in Oslo was designed by [Alf Rolfsen](/source/Alf_Rolfsen), and the three carpets *Solens gang* at Stortinget were designed by [Karen Holtsmark](/source/Karen_Holtsmark). The tapestry *Heroica* at the [Parliament of Finland](/source/Parliament_of_Finland) was designed by [Håkon Stenstadvold](/source/H%C3%A5kon_Stenstadvold) .[1]

She was awarded the [King's Medal of Merit](/source/King's_Medal_of_Merit) in gold,[2] and was decorated Knight, First Class of the [Order of St. Olav](/source/Order_of_St._Olav) in 1967.[1]

## References

1. Dahlin, Liv Klakegg. ["Else Halling"](http://www.snl.no/.nbl_biografi/Else_Halling/utdypning) (in Norwegian). *[Norsk biografisk leksikon](/source/Norsk_biografisk_leksikon)*. Helle, Knut (ed.). Oslo: Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 28 November 2015.

1. Steenstrup, Bjørn (ed.) (1973). ["Halling, Else"](https://runeberg.org/hvemerhvem/1973/0202.html) (in Norwegian). *[Hvem er hvem?](/source/Hvem_er_hvem%3F)*. Oslo: Aschehoug. p. 202. Retrieved 4 December 2015.

1. Thue, Sigrid Rømcke. ["Else Halling"](https://nkl.snl.no/Else_Halling) (in Norwegian). *Norsk Kunstnerleksikon*. Retrieved 4 December 2015.

1. Godal, Anne Marit (ed.). ["Else Halling"](http://www.snl.no/Else_Halling) (in Norwegian). *[Store norske leksikon](/source/Store_norske_leksikon)*. Oslo: Norsk nettleksikon. Retrieved 28 November 2015.

## Further reading

- Parmann, Øistein (1982). *Norsk billedvev – et atelier og en epoke*
- Hafting, G.S. (1983). "Else Halling-epoken i norsk billedvev". *Norsk husflid*. '***(1)***

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Else Halling](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Else_Halling) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Else_Halling?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.