Life and Artistic Education
Gerhard August Schneider was a Norwegian artist and illustrator of folk tales. Born in Flekkefjord, Norway, he attended the Stavanger Cathedral School, graduating in 1860. Although his family intended for him to study medicine at the University of Christiania, his work creating illustrations for weekly magazines led him to focus more on art than his medical studies. Following the death of his father, he ended his medical education and won a free scholarship at Johan Fredrik Eckersberg’s School of Art in Christiania through a competition in 1867.
With support from Schäffer's endowment, Schneider pursued further studies at the Academy in Copenhagen as a pupil of Frederik Vermehren from 1868 to 1870. He later studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, Belgium, where he remained until his death.
Illustrations and Contributions
Schneider was a frequent contributor to various publications, including Illustreret Nyhedsblad, Skilling-Magazin, Norsk Folkeblad, and Almuevennen, as well as the Danish publication Illustreret Tidende. From 1863 until 1868, he served as the permanent illustrator for the magazine Vikingen. His drawings, which often had a political focus, were printed using xylography. He was also a skilled portrait painter.
His work was deeply connected to Norwegian traditions. After traveling to the valley of Setesdal, he became an accomplished painter of folk life and customs, leaving behind a rich sketchbook. His most significant contribution to art was his illustrations for P. Chr. Asbjørnsen's Norske Huldre-Eventyr og Folkesagn (1879) and later editions. These illustrations were developed through discussions with the collector Asbjørnsen and were based on studies of peasants, house construction, and oral tales from Setesdal.
