A life near the water and the brush

Signe Scheel spent her early years at Villa Ekely, where the presence of Lake Mjøsa was a constant neighbor. Born in Hamar, she grew up in a large family of eleven children. Her talent first caught the eye of Hans Gude, a friend of her father, who encouraged her to pursue the brush. This support allowed her to move toward formal training, eventually leading her back to Kristiania at the age of twenty.

Her education was shaped by several hands across different cities. In Norway, she studied under Christian Krohg and attended the women's class at the art school run by Krohg, Heyerdahl, and Werenskiold. She also learned from Eilif Peterssen. Her studies took her beyond Norway to Berlin, where she worked with Karl Gussow, and to Paris, where she attended the Académie Colarossi under Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret.

The eye for detail and light

Her work often focused on the people closest to her. She frequently used her mother and sisters as models, finding a quiet efficiency in their presence. While portraiture remained close to her heart, her interests shifted toward landscapes and figures within nature. She had a way of placing subjects within their surroundings, connecting them to the space they occupied.

As she painted, her technique changed. She was a colorist who used light to find different nuances in a single shade. Over time, her brushwork became broader and her expression grew rougher. Her body of work, estimated between 120 and 140 pieces, shows this progression from precise observation to a more textured approach.

Recognition and presence

She debuted at the Autumn Exhibition in Kristiania in 1884 with a portrait of her sister, Mrs. Frederikke Lütken. This early success was followed by frequent exhibitions at the Høstutstillingen. Some of her notable pieces include:

• The Lord's Servant, which is held in the National Museum of Art in Oslo.
• Portrait of the Painter Helga Ring (Reusch) from 1890.
• Psyche from 1888.
• Self-Portrait from 1916.
• Interior with woman reading from 1894.

Her paintings are kept in important collections, including the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo. She lived much of her life in places like Skrivergarden Undesløs and eventually passed away in Oslo in 1942.