"Artist's wage"

ARTIST'S WAGE

The "artist's wage" (kunstnerlønn) was a public support fund for artists, administered by the Norwegian parliament. In 1934 Ingeborg was nominated to receive lifelong support by the fund. The proposal caused a parliamentary debate in 1936, when many MPs found Ingeborg too left-wing to receive public funding. Especially the books Where did we come from? ("Hvor kom vi fra", 1935), and Underneath the balcony ("Utenfor balkongen", 1936) caused discussion.

The former is a lyrical "explanation of reproduction" for children, a "myth of origin". The latter is a collection of descriptions of Mussolini's Italy.

Today it is hard to understand the controversy caused by Ingeborg's careful, poetic imagery of the reproductive process or the criticism of Mussolini:

Apple flowers. Drawing by Johanne L. G. Michaelsen.

"You want to know where you came from?
How, in a great, dark age
you sailed in a lily-boat
along the banks of the Nile?
Know the paradise of flowers
where angels are at guard,
feel the quiet, warm river
where you nightly had a bath?"

(From "Hvor kom vi fra")

Epleblomster. Drawing by Johanne L. G. Michaelsen.

The book Underneath the balcony was attacked because it was critical of the powerful Italian dictator Mussolini:

Nettle. Drawing by Johanne L. G. Michaelsen.

""Are you saying that Benito Mussolini supports the mafia and the camorra?"

"Yes, where else did he learn his trade? (...) He eliminated robbery by legalising it, by substituting the moral of the state with the moral of a criminal, by allowing the instincts of offenders to rule the people."

(From "Utenfor balkongen")

Leaf of nettle. Drawing by Johanne L. G. Michaelsen.

Ingeborg described the discussion in the parliament:

"I saw my books being passed from hand to hand down there, especially "Balkongen" and "Hvor kom vi fra". "Hvor kom vi fra" was the most popular choice. It was described as "gateway education". (...) With that book I had hit rock bottom in all respects."

(From "De unge".)

In the end, and in spite of the arguments of conservative MPs, Ingeborg received an annual funding of 2000 Norwegian kroner. That income was most welcome in the "artist's colony" at Ekeberg.

<= - =>

[Ingeborgmuseet]